 Dirt
Fest started back in 1997 as an outlet for a Birch Run native by the name
of Kurt Gust to showcase his band GrAsS and have a cookout in the Village
Park. Locals would refer to Birch Run as "Dirt Run" since there
was little more to do than play in the dirt of the small town. Hence,
Dirt Fest was to be, more or less, a stick in the mud of the daily grind.
So he collected up some dudes, brews & food, and had themselves a
fine saturday afternoon.
As
GrAsS played local gigs throughout the area, they ended up crossing paths
with Matt Dalton who had been booking shows on a regular basis out of
a one room church turned music hall. In an effort to promote Dalton's
own band LeFT, he and Gust teamed up for the 2nd annual Dirt Fest at the
community park making it a little more organized and giving it slightly
more of a concert feel than the previous year. Dalton would eventually
take over the reigns completely and by 2000 he had multiple stages for
the increasing number of bands wanting to play this grass roots festival
(no pun intended). Skateboard ramps placed in the tennis courts, basketball
tournaments, extreme sports exhibitions, and wrestling matches are among
the oddball attractions that would compliment the all day music festival
year after year.
 Eventually
outgrowing it's meager britches, the community park had proved too small
to contain the snowballing Dirt Fest. Dalton chose to move the festival
to the Birch Run Expo Center. In 2006, Dan Coleman teamed up with Dalton
for the 10th annual Dirt Fest. By this time, the festival had become a
local staple to the mid Michigan music scene offering hundreds of vendors,
dozens of bands, and an array of attractions. 2006 festivals goers witnessed
the humble festival explode into an event comparable to the Van's Warped
Tour. They brought in nationally touring acts such as Mae, Halifax, Silverstein,
Everytime I Die, and Black Dahlia Murder to play alongside the many local
Michigan bands. Dirt Fest has continued this tradition of mixing big name
acts with up & comers in hopes of turning people on to the things
happening right here in their own community.
In
2009, Matt's brother and bandmate, Andy Dalton, stepped up to the plate
and assumed the task of spearheading the business. The Dalton Brothers
are eager to continue creating opportunities and enjoyable experiences
in the Michigan Music Scene.
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