Freedom Food Festival

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<h3>The stage is located at the intersection of Main and Washington Streets, in front of the old Courthouse.</h3><h1> </h1><h1>Cordovas (8:30-10pm)</h1>Cordovas are an Americana rock band out of Nashville whose sound, equal parts soulful harmony, poetic craft, and cosmic improvisation, has long earned comparisons to The Band, Grateful Dead, and Crosby, Stills & Nash. But with their fifth studio album, Back to Life (out January 30, 2026, on Yep Roc Records), the group sharpens the edges of its identity: road-tested, deeply traditional in the ways that matter, and determined to be respected on its own terms. <img class="q-image" src="https://api.brightrtravel.com/media/volatile/static-page-block-images/849a3d0b-32f6-411f-94f0-48aee08dd287/original.jpeg" alt="block_ID_2223"> The band’s heartbeat lies between two places. In Todos Santos, Mexico, where Cordovas have lived, written, and built a small community of artists, the songs take shape in their most relaxed state, often amongst a circle of friends. Then it’s back to Nashville, where rehearsal, touring, and recording hammer those ideas into their final form. This cycle has defined the last three years of work, producing songs that are both varied and cohesive, each one revealing another side of the band’s range. At the center of Cordovas are songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Joe Firstman and guitarist/vocalist Lucca Soria, partners in what they call a “musical friendship.” The new record is a testament to their growth not just as musicians but as people. “I’m extremely blessed,” Firstman says. “Everywhere I look is love, and I set it up that way. My whole life is designed around art, not around bills or phone calls. Everything is based on love and enthusiasm, and it radiates from there.” Soria frames it differently but with the same spirit of devotion: “People are at service to us, and we are at service to them. I am incentivized to do my best all of the time in the service of others. In Mexico, it’s also a community. Everyone has a role, and I want to do the best I can for the community.” That philosophy is embodied in the band’s communal compound in Todos Santos. Over the years, Cordovas have acquired five houses there—each designed by Firstman, each tailored to the people who live or pass through them. More than just residences, they function as creative havens: a space where friends, collaborators, and fellow travelers are invited in to write songs, make demos, stage impromptu shows, or simply live alongside the band in a shared rhythm of art and life. It’s not a retreat from the world but a way of reshaping it—an intentional community built around the belief that music thrives when it’s lived in, day after day, with others. <img class="q-image" src="https://api.brightrtravel.com/media/volatile/static-page-block-images/3c45c15f-7b24-462c-857f-31ba27fd9f70/original.jpeg" alt="block_ID_2226"> With Back to Life, Cordovas are also turning their focus toward something new: building a business framework that matches the artistry they’ve been cultivating for over a decade. After years of keeping their heads down, writing, touring, and perfecting their sound, the band feels this is the record that can propel them into the space they’ve always deserved to occupy. They’ve worked harder than ever, not only on the songs themselves but on the structure around them, bringing the same discipline and fire they apply to their music into the way they release it. The result is an album that shows the full breadth of their talents while positioning the band for a future that finally mirrors their ambition. “We’ve kept our heads down for ten years,” says Firstman. “The craftsmanship shows. The songs are better, the technical parts are better, everything discernible and improved from yesterday.” Through it all, Cordovas remain a band defined by integrity and a hunger for success. They’re traditionalists in the sense that they care about songs, about craft, about doing the work. They’ve taken the long road, built their own world, and now, with Back to Life, they’re stepping forward with their most focused and fully realized music yet. <h1>Mason Via (6:45-8pm)</h1>Mason Via is an Appalachian troubadour who was born and bred in the Blue Ridge Mountains but now makes his home in Gator Country: Gainesville, FL. An alumnus of Old Crow Medicine Show, he earned a Grammy-nomination for his work on the band’s chart-topping Folk album, Jubilee. <img class="q-image" src="https://api.brightrtravel.com/media/volatile/static-page-block-images/b0c792a7-0d39-4140-9cf6-c6f95757c07f/original.jpeg" alt="block_ID_2224"> His new self titled album came out in April 2025 and debuted at #12 on Billboard Bluegrass Album chart. The song Melt in the Sun has gone to #1 on the Sirius XM Bluegrass show. Mason toured in 2025 with bluegrass stars like Sierra Hull, I’m With Her, and the Wood Brothers. His songwriting can also be seen on Grammy-winning & Grammy nominated albums by bluegrass icons, Molly Tuttle and Del McCoury. During his time in Nashville, TN he was praised by NPR as one of the top 10 artists thriving in Bluegrass music. Be ready for an exciting show full of high-octane bluegrass energy paired with emotionally gripping lyrics that will have you dancing and singing along by the end of the night. <h1>The Late Night Stumblers (5:15-6:15pm)</h1>The Late Night Stumblers are a raw, and veritable rock band from Rockbridge County, Virginia. The Stumblers combine elements of rock, old school country, and sometimes bluegrass to create a sonic landscape that is familiar but also contemporary. Fronted by singer/songwriter Bryce Teague and including drummer Callum Baxter, bassist Brad Austin, guitarist Taylor Mason and guitarist Travis Odell, the group examines life in rural America with and emphasis on story telling and a keen awareness of history. Their first single, It’s Coming Down was released in January of 2023. Followed by their first studio album, Tall Tales, Legends, and Absolute Lies in February of 2023. Their sophomore album, A Long Way To Go was released in 2024.<img class="q-image" src="https://api.brightrtravel.com/media/volatile/static-page-block-images/c3a40bc3-4caf-49ec-a45f-afa81b5c73ac/original.jpeg" alt="block_ID_2225"><h3> </h3><h3>Music and stage arranged by <a href="https://www.limekilntheater.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Lime Kiln Theater</a>.</h3>