Presented by Southern Comfort, the SoCo Music Experience will take place on Sept. 13 from 2 to 10 p.m. in the parking lot of the Race Course. This free event is a national attraction with festivals being held in Atlanta, Denver and San Diego. While performers have not been booked for Saratoga Springs’ festival, headliners around the country include Against Me!, Bang Camaro, Bassnectar, Gnarls Barkley, and Ghostland Observatory.

According to Saratoga Race Course Grounds Manager Charlie Wheeler, representatives from Southern Comfort hoped to bring the festival to the area and felt that the space in the parking area of the track would be compatible with the format of the outdoor event. 

Aside from a yet to be determined headlining act, local musicians will play on a smaller stage and there will be a SoCo and Lime Lounge where guests can relax and dance to music by DJ Star Eyes. SPIN Magazine and Death + Taxes Magazine will feature a photo booth and an area for people to play the videogame Guitar Hero.

The event is free to the public and those who attend must be 21 years of age or older. In order to promote safety, a designated driver tent will be set up to give patrons a safe ride home.

According to Sean Wachsman, public relations manager for Southern Comfort, Southern Comfort funds the events so fans can enjoy a music festival at no charge.

“People are normally paying $50 to $250 to go to a concert or festival similar to ours,” he said. “In today’s uncertain economy, we’re providing a pretty good value to music fans.”

Past headliners at the SoCo Music Experience include The Roots, Flaming Lips, Cold War Kids, Cypress Hill, Galactic and Delta Spirit.  

“Southern Comfort has had a long history of being involved with live music, and it plays a significant role in people’s every day entertainment. This, combined with knowing that music festivals are popular destinations for friends, we have the ability to provide them with a shared experience where they’ll have a fun time together,” Wachsman said. “Today’s music fan listens to many different genres, so we try to provide a good mix of music to combine with the experience of a memorable day. We hope they’ll discover some new music while at the same time enjoy a favorite performer.”

For residents of Saratoga Springs who may be concerned about the event, Wheeler said that the event will be well managed and the concert will end by 10 p.m. so neighbors will not be disturbed.

“We care about the neighborhood and residents that live near the Race Course; that’s why we chose a day-time event.”

The event will not take place near any historical site associated with Saratoga Race Course and patrons will not be allowed past the parking lot. 

“I’m pleased to see the facility used for a non-traditional event,” Wheeler said. “We try to balance the use of the grounds and like to do a number of community events that aren’t related to horse racing. This is just another fun event for Saratoga.”