Becky acquired some tickets, so we headed off to the Hops and Harvest Boutique Festival in Maidstone to see what was on offer. The answer it appears is quite a lot…
There were essentially four stages, a main stage where you could find the likes on Newton Faulkner and Toploader, a ‘Big Top’ tent stage where you could see local and festival circuit bands (and shelter from the weather) and also a ‘Secret Garden’ with acoustic acts, and then a ‘VIP’ village hall with DJs and a cabaret.
Everything about the festival deserved to be full to its 15,000 person capacity, however due to what appeared to be a lack of any worthwhile marketing (I’m sure that a few of the people actually in attendance didn’t even know it was going on) and some pretty dodgy weather – it was cold and raining for most of the day – there was hardly anybody there!
This lack of crowd did however mean that queues were a thing only to be fantasised about, the loos were clean and had paper and the view of the stage while sitting on a hay bale was great.
As it was a festival, I had come out armed only with my little bridge camera but was able to get some nice shots even though it was a particularly flat and gloomy day (as long as I dodged the rain showers)
Although it felt like the bands were playing a private event just for the exclusive few (hundred) that were actually in attendance, I hope that the festival continues next year and is attended by thousands rather than hundreds – it certainly deserves it!
Being at Kent Life, you could also visit all of the exhibits and attractions usually on offer including animals: goats, pigs, owls, guinea pigs, alpacas and meerkats, who had a very cute litter of two pups.
