Levitate Music and Arts fest was Out of This World
By: Kaitlyn Muskgrove
MARSHFIELD, MA - Filled with live music, colorful art, and local makers, Levitate Music & Arts Festival brought two dreamy summer days to the Marshfield Fairgrounds. Now its 14th year, Levitate has grown into a major festival without losing the artsy, community-driven personality that makes it feel so connected to the South Shore. Between wandering through the Creators Market, watching artists bring murals to life, and dancing to everyone from Alanis Morrisette and Ziggy Marley to Caamp and Royel Otis, there was always something new to stumble upon.
The weekend’s lineup was a diverse mix of alternative rock, reggae, folk, indie pop, and funk, but it never felt thrown together. Each artist fit naturally into Levitate’s easy going world. Saturday brought a particularly memorable lineup featuring Alanis Morrisette, Ziggy Marley, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, The Movement, Larkin Poe, and Jammy Buffet.
Sunday carried a slightly different energy, with Caamp at the top of the lineup including Royel Otis, The Elovaters, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Pepper, Hans Williams, and Surfer Girl. Royal Otis brought a breezy indie-pop sound that paired perfectly with the afternoon sun, while Massachusetts favorites, The Elovaters, received the kind of hometown welcome that only happens when a band and audience share genuine roots.
The music led the weekend, but the festival’s visual identity gives Levitate much of its personality. Throughout the grounds live muralists and experimental artists turned blank surfaces into works of art while festivalgoers watched in awe. The Creators Market featured more than 60 artisan vendors, with jewelry, pottery, handblown glass, and original artwork offering a welcome alternative to the usual rows of mass-produced festival merch.
Levitate’s connection to its local community also felt genuine. More than 30 food trucks and vendors filled the grounds, with a strong focus on local businesses. Emerging musicians and visual artists were given the space alongside internationally known performers, making the creativity feel like a part of the festival’s foundation.
Levitate Music & Arts Festival captured the loose, colorful feeling of a New England summer weekend while still delivering a lineup worthy of a much larger destination festival. For two days in Marshfield, music, art, community, and summer all found the same rhythm.
