DIRT FEST

Mission Statement: Dirt Fest is a family owned and operated business aimed to bring people together in the Great State of Michigan through the celebration of music. We provide opportunities to increase exposure for artists and businesses through print, radio, online marketing campaigns, and face to face presence day of show.



Dirt Fest started back in 1997 as an outlet for a Birch Run native by the name of Kurt Gust to showcase his band GrAsS and have a cookout in the Village Park. Locals would refer to Birch Run as "Dirt Run" since there was little more to do than play in the dirt of the small town. Hence, Dirt Fest was to be, more or less, a stick in the mud of the daily grind. So he collected up some dudes, brews & food, and had themselves a fine saturday afternoon.

As GrAsS played local gigs throughout the area, they ended up crossing paths with Matt Dalton who had been booking shows on a regular basis out of a one room church turned music hall. In an effort to promote Dalton's own band LeFT, he and Gust teamed up for the 2nd annual Dirt Fest at the community park making it a little more organized and giving it slightly more of a concert feel than the previous year. Dalton would eventually take over the reigns completely and by 2000 he had multiple stages for the increasing number of bands wanting to play this grass roots festival (no pun intended). Skateboard ramps placed in the tennis courts, basketball tournaments, extreme sports exhibitions, and wrestling matches are among the oddball attractions that would compliment the all day music festival year after year.

Eventually outgrowing it's meager britches, the community park had proved too small to contain the snowballing Dirt Fest. Dalton chose to move the festival to the Birch Run Expo Center. In 2006, Dan Coleman teamed up with Dalton for the 10th annual Dirt Fest. By this time, the festival had become a local staple to the mid Michigan music scene offering hundreds of vendors, dozens of bands, and an array of attractions. 2006 festivals goers witnessed the humble festival explode into an event comparable to the Van's Warped Tour. They brought in nationally touring acts such as Mae, Halifax, Silverstein, Everytime I Die, and Black Dahlia Murder to play alongside the many local Michigan bands. Dirt Fest has continued this tradition of mixing big name acts with up & comers in hopes of turning people on to the things happening right here in their own community.

In 2009, Matt's brother and bandmate, Andy Dalton, stepped up to the plate and assumed the task of spearheading the business. The Dalton Brothers are eager to continue creating opportunities and enjoyable experiences in the Michigan Music Scene.