By Erin Lee
Photo by Larry Marano
SunFest is celebrating over four decades of art and music appreciation in South Florida!
I had the privilege of attending the final day of West Palm Beach's annual multi-date event: Sunday, May 5th.
I reached the festival grounds in the early afternoon. I walked down the path south, catching some of the West Boca High School Jazz Band performance before taking a stroll down artist's row. Colorful murals were being created in real-time. Tent after tent was filled with art, clothing, and jewelry from local vendors.
I enjoyed an orange creamsicle Italian ice as the breeze came off the water, palm trees swaying as it reached me.
SunFest is a long-standing tradition in our community, and everything about it feels like home.
South Florida staple DJ Immortal kept the crowd entertained with multiple sets as I explored vendors and sponsors. At 3:00, I made my way to the Ideal Nutrition stage to see Valley perform. Based in Canada, lead singer Rob Baska observed the heat was quite a change for them. Their indie pop songs were a great soundtrack to the early part of the day, and the audience was receptive to their music.
Next to take the stage were the emo rock band Boys Like Girls. They kicked off their set strong with the title track from 2009's Love Drunk. Their setlist spanned 18 songs from across their catalog. They did a wonderful job of maintaining high energy throughout their performance, engaging with the crowd, and encouraging everyone to have a great time alongside them.
Highlights included LANGUAGE from their most recent album Sunday at Foxwoods, and their well-known track "The Great Escape." Boys Like Girls were followed by hometown heroes Dashboard Confessional. Singer Chris Carrabba regaled stories of growing up in South Florida, introducing one song stating: "I wrote this one on Sample Road."
The band masterfully played a set filled with their most popular hits. Hundreds of voices from the crowd filled the air, singing "Screaming Infidelities" and "Hands Down" alongside Chris' soaring vocals.
Last to take the stage for the evening were 90s alternative veterans Third Eye Blind.
They opened with "Thanks a Lot" from their 1997 self-titled album and proceeded to play several more tracks from their seminal debut, along with a mix of material from throughout their discography.
They also played fantastic covers of The Cure and Joy Division. Singer Stephan Jenkins enlisted crowd participation throughout the evening, taking the mic to invite fans to "turn to someone behind you that you don't know, and wish them a good evening."
We smiled and laughed together, enjoying the band's performance. The harmonies and backing vocals of the rhythm section truly elevated the show as they played an incredibly tight set. SunFest 2024 was an event to remember, as always!
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