One of NJ's oldest music venues will present a 2-day concert and art festival this summer

For more than 150 years, the Pattenburg House has been a Hunterdon County landmark roadhouse and live music venue, hosting acts ranging from Tito Jackson of the Jackson 5 to local legends like CC Coletti.

Every night that the Union Township hangout is open – from Wednesday through Sunday – a live music show hits the mic, giving it a robust calendar that few Jersey venues can match.

But this summer, the bustling gathering place is taking its musical prowess outside for its biggest concert ever.

The Soulstice Music & Arts Festival, presented by the Patternburg House and live event producer the peacelovemusic movement, takes place Saturday, Aug. 2, and Sunday, Aug. 3, at the Red Mill in Clinton. Hours are 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Sunday.

The peacelovemusic movement, founded by Jarod Richardson, is a live event producer that supports independent musicians, small venues and local culture.

The festival will feature two stages and 18 acts including Diamond Eye Jack, one of the premiere Grateful Dead tribute bands in New Jersey; the CC Coletti Band, starring the singer who toured with Meat Loaf for a decade; Jimmey Leahey & the Grey Man Group, starring Leahey who performed with Paul McCartney at Bruce Springsteen's birthday party; the Jon Stickley Trio; and the Joe Cirotti Trio.

The acts include singer-songwriters and instrumentalists, as well as folk, bluegrass, funk, experimental, soul and jam bands.

Tickets are $49 for a one-day pass, $83 for a two-day pass, and free for kids 12 and under. Some kids activities will be available like face painting and flower corn making.

The schedule at the Soulstice Music & Arts Festival.

Visitors can re-enter the event as they please once they have their daily pass. They are also welcome to bring lawn chairs and blankets. Five hundred to 1,000 people are expected to attend throughout the weekend.

If the weather doesn’t cooperate, the show will go on. The main stage is already covered and can shelter 300 to 400 standing music lovers. The second stage will be covered as well if it rains. The rest of the grounds are shaded with trees.

Festivalgoers can also opt for a $32 ticket to the Pattenburg House after-party on Saturday night, when Jon Stickley will continue his festival performance from 10:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. alongside Larry Keel. Otherwise, the Pattenburg House will be closed for the weekend.

Music will be just one focus of the event taking over the historic Red Mill grounds overlooking the South Branch of the Raritan River.

The iconic Red Mill on the South Branch of the Raritan River in Clinton, NJ.

Also an immersive art event, the Soulstice Music & Arts Festival will present live painting, pop-up galleries and art installations.

“The location and topography of the Red Mill really lends itself well to having all these cool nooks and crannies,” said Pattenburg House owner Jonas Koep. “The music will carry the event, but we wanted it to all-encompassing, because music is art. Some people will buy tickets just to look at all of the artwork and vendors.”

Twenty artisan vendors selling items such as antiques, handbags and hand-blown glass will also be onsite.

There will also be two food trucks, and the Pattenburg House will serve fare from a wood-burning asado grill like hamburgers, hot dogs, bratwurst and steak sandwiches.

Jimmey Leahey & The Grey Man Group will perform at the Soulstice Music & Arts Festival.

Visitors can also purchase alcohol from Alba Vineyard & Winery, Sunken Silo Brew Works, and Ironbound Hard Cider. Plus, the Pattenburg House will have a cocktail bar featuring drinks made with craft liquors.

But unlike some regional music festivals, partying won’t be the priority at the Soulstice Music & Arts Festival.

“We’re trying to elevate that musical and cultural experience,” said Koep. “We’re aiming for a slightly different echelon than your drunken festival where people are hammering red bull and vodka. We are trying to build a music, art and cultural brand that is a little more elegant and fun in a different way.”

Another way that Koep is trying to do that is by creating the Hunterdon County Music, Art and Cultural Foundation, which will include the Hunterdon County Rock & Roll Hall of Fame that he started at the Pattenburg House. He hopes to find a brick-and-mortar location to house the foundation, as well as elements like a podcast studio, recording studio and art classroom.

A historic photo of the Pattenburg House.

“These areas of art and culture are in each Hunterdon County town, and we want to unify all of them with one cultural foundation,” he said.

Koep hopes that the Soulstice Music & Arts Festival can help fill the gap that the beloved Black Potatoe Music Festival left after it ended its nearly two dozen-year run at the Red Mill in 2019.

“We are not trying to replace or become the Black Potatoe Music Festival, but we recognize that they built something that had longevity and there is a placeholder for something new,” Koep said. “The Soulstice Music & Arts Festival is not a one-off — this is going to be a series at the Red Mill every year. Hopefully, this will breathe new life into the Clinton music and cultural scene.”

Go: 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 2, and 9:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 3; Red Mill, 56 Main St., Clinton; $49 for a one-day pass, $83 for a two-day pass, free for kids 12 and under; soulsticemusicfestival.com.

Jenna Intersimone.

Jenna Intersimone has been a staff member at the USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey since 2014, although she's a lifetime Jersey girl who considers herself an expert in everything from the Jersey Shore to the Garden State's buzzing downtowns. To get unlimited access to her stories about food, drink and fun, please subscribe or activate your digital account today. You can also follow her on Instagram at @seejennaeat and on Twitter at @JIntersimone.

This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: One of NJ's oldest music venues will present a 2-day concert and art festival this summer