Summer music festivals are all the rage. But what makes Northern California especially cool in terms of these is that there are so many smaller, much more fun and affordable options available.
Rather than cozy up with 100,000 of one’s closest friends at a festival like BottleRock, why not forge some new connections at the Boontstock Music Festival, which begins Saturday, June 27, at Anderson Valley Brewing Company in Boonville? Yes, Boonville.
The event will feature headliner David Luning as well as acts The Howard Brothers, Kyle Phelan, Caelen Perkins, Michael Ghadban and Griffin/Gregory, as well as Jim Sobo and special guests. There will be several food trucks and non-alcoholic beverages available on-site.
While he will also be wearing his event creator/promoter and event MC hat that day, Sobo is a longtime musician who started out in the San Francisco music scene in the ’80s. Among other ventures, he began the Howling Coyote Tour—a rolling roadshow of Southwestern musical talent that Sobo puts together and tours around Arizona, Colorado and California. These sojourns eventually led him to stumble upon the small, rural hamlet of Boonville.
“I chose Anderson Valley Brewing because of the spectacular venue destination, 30 plus acres of disc golf and the beauty of Anderson Valley’s wine growing region,” says Sobo.
Anderson Valley Brewing Company owner and president Jason McConnell, who acquired the 38-year-old brewery in 2025, echoes Sobo’s sentiments when it comes to Boonville as a location. “Boonville still feels lost in time, with a West Coast Woodstock vibe. Only winding roads lead into or out of the Anderson Valley, but once you are here, you’ll find world-class beer, wine and musical talent,” McConnell says.
And speaking of that, every music fan in and around Sonoma County should know of David Luning, who says he loves Boonville because it’s “one of those places that has so much character and feels completely different. It’s beautiful, unpretentious, and full of good people and good beer.” He continued, “I’m excited to spend the day there, play my songs for peeps and be a part of Boontstock.”
Also on the bill are the Howard Brothers (formerly Cross-Eyed Possum), whose folk-Americana sound is infused with jazz and classical influences. Likewise, Arizona’s Kyle Phelan also anchors his sound in Americana but sprinkles in dashes of acoustic country and blues topped off with his soulful voice. Los Angeles-based but raised in Prescott, AZ, Caelen Perkins strives to find a balance between the beauty and ugliness in our modern world.
Other performers slated to hit the stage are multi-talented Michael Ghadban and Arizona-based Griffin/Gregory, the musical union of PK Gregory and Stephy Leigh Griffin.
All of this may sound great, but one may be hung up on the whole “Boonville is kind of far away” thing. To this, McConnell says, “I think the trek should be part of the adventure; nothing great comes easy. Get out of your comfort zone, and explore something new. Maybe even learn a few words of Boontling.”
He signed off with a hearty “Bahl Hornin’,” which means “cheers” in Boonville’s official language, Boontling.
Boontstock Music Festival kickoffs at 3pm, Saturday, June 27, at Anderson Valley Brewing Company, 17700 Boonville Rd., Boonville. For more information, check out avbc.com.
