The Black Swamp Arts Festival is a free arts and live music festival being held on Main Street in downtown Bowling Green during Sept. 5, 6 and 7.
There will be a selection of food vendors and a “Beer Garden.” There will also be annual festival merchandise being sold and original music will be performed.
Three bands from BG Falcon Media’s Live and Loud are on the music lineup: Leadfoot Granny, Freight Street and Chloe and the Steel Strings.
Leadfoot Granny is from Bloomdale, Ohio. Members of the band are Hope Smith, Luke Ermie, Odin Woodbury, Owen Krupp and Mark Mikel. Their music is influenced by icons such as The Beatles and Led Zeppelin. They were a part of Live and Loud in 2024, showcasing their songs “For the Night,” “Fanfare” and “The Other Woman.”
Freight Street is a band based in the Toledo area. In 2022, they performed at Live and Loud with a three-song set. They incorporate “folk core” and “indie pop” into their music. The members include JP Stebal, Kathleen Schnerer, Tom Vasey, Devonte Stovall and Flannery Murnen.
Chloe and the Steel Strings are from Toledo where they also attended university. The band consists of Chloe Ward, Connor Ward, Pete Rodriguez, Eric Stuehr, Cody Podsiadlo and Anna Garrison. According to their website, they make “trippy, nostalgic sounds and lyrics that speak to the soul.” They performed a three song set on a Live & Loud show in 2022.
Live and Loud is a student-run media program that features live music from local and student bands. The recordings are shared on the BG Falcon Media website and YouTube channel.
Additional bands performing at this event include Shadowgrass, AJ Lee & Blue Summit and Telula.
The festival started in 1993 with Leon Redbone being the first to be scheduled to play.
Here is a schedule for the festival:
Juried Art Show: Friday 5 – 8 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Wood County Invitational Art Show: Sat. 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Music: Friday 5-11:30 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m.-11:30 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. -4 p.m.
After Hours Shows: Friday and Saturday at 11:30 p.m.
Food and Festival Merchandise: Friday 5 p.m. – 12 a.m., Saturday 11 a.m. – 12 a.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Shuttle: Friday 4 p.m. to 12:30 a.m., Saturday 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (runs every half hour, $4 per ride).
Youth Arts: Saturday and Sunday 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Teen Arts: Saturday 9 a.m – 6 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Beats on the Street: Saturday 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Chalk Walk: Chalk Goblin 9 – 10 a.m.
Chalk Walk Mural Competition: Saturday 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Beer Garden: Friday 5 p.m. -12 a.m. (11:30 p.m. Last Call), Saturday 11 am – 12 am (11:30 pm Last Call) and Sunday 11 a.m. -5 p.m.
