The Communicator - June 2005
9
COMFEST
By Steve Russell
For three days at the end of June each year, Goodale Park is turned over to Comfest. This free-wheeling
celebration of music, art and community is always a highlight of the Columbus calendar, a deeply mellow
and rewarding weekend that welcomes newcomers and long-standing festival diehards alike. First held in
1972, Comfest lays claim to being one of the longest-running non-profit music festivals in the country. As
difficult as it is to pin down, the continuing popularity of Comfest has a lot to do with these four crucial
ingredients: music, beer, food and the legendary Comfest Vibe.
THE MUSIC
Over the years, the musical entertainment at Comfest has grown in such a manner that it now takes six
stages to house it all, an eclectic set of sounds for every type of mood, making it easy to stick around for
hours on end if you mix it up right. Dance up a storm in front of the Main Stage then come down and chill
out by the Gazebo to some low-key urban folk-rock. This sprawling diversity encourages much amiable
wandering, a key part of the Comfest Vibe. An impressive array of local talent is always on display, and
is indeed a mainstay of the festival's long-term success. At the center of it all is the aforementioned Main
Stage, also known as the Bozo Stage. This is where you'll find some of the more high-profile acts, but
each year Comfest has plenty worth checking out at each stage, which include the Jazz Stage and the
Russell Street Blues Garage. Last year the Blues Garage had an added attraction a denim-clad bearded
gentleman in the audience, reveling in free-spirited no-belt, no-underpants abandon, leaning forward in his
seat to reveal a Plumber's Crack of breathtaking dimensions. The display lasted a good ten minutes and
drew a small but significant crowd of its own.
THE BEER
Comfest is truly booze-fueled, as the whole shebang is more or less bankrolled by the beer sales. Not
only does this keep admission free, it also allows the organizers to stave off the grim threat of faceless
corporate sponsorship. This is an important consideration when it comes to maintaining the Comfest
Vibe. This means each ice-cold brew that gets knocked back helps to support the community and stick it
to the man, giving committed Comfest juicers the right to cast a sleepy eye over the events unfolding
around them with a deep sense of pride. (The apparently high levels of consumption are particularly
impressive given the strict enforcement of the token system, a two-phase alcohol purchase plan which
prohibits the direct exchange of hard cash for drinks.) It should be made clear that drunken misbehavior is
quite rare, with most alcohol-related incidents falling comfortably into the `tomfoolery' category. No doubt
this is due in large part to the famously easy-going atmosphere, which leads even the most uptight indi-
viduals to feel that there is no particular hurry, whether it comes to drinking or anything else. Of course,
boozing is not mandatory, but those who choose to abstain should take at least one opportunity to grasp
a passing drunk by the hand and thank him or her warmly for making the event possible.
THE FOOD
You can't stage a three-day festival without plentiful and varied grub to keep folk going, and there's
always a great selection at Comfest. The fancy stuff lines up on the south end of the Park Street bound-
ary. Meat-eaters are well catered for juicy ribs and big, thick pork sausages abound but even
hardcore carnivores should check out some of the delicious vegetarian food on offer, from just about every
corner of the globe. There are always some fine veggie plates available from the Indian food stall, a
personal favorite of mine and a real treat for those who like it hot and spicy.
Around the corner on Goodale Street you'll find all the Fair Food. Some hoity-toity types will criticize you
for purchasing a little slice of fried gold from these carnival vendors, but who in their right minds has a
problem with fried cheese on a stick? As an added bonus, ingesting the right mix of fair fries, funnel cake,
pizza slices and cotton candy will bring about a sort of gasket-blowing grease and sugar overload, an
exciting, briefly-sustained convulsive fit that necessitates a short burst of frenetic dancing followed by a
long lie down.