Winter Warmer Festival: Andrew Myers Shakes off the Chill at Roaring Camp
By Julie Horner
It was the end of the summer festival season and Ben Lomond’s Andrew Myers was bummed. Might as well hunker down for the winter and dream of dancing to great music with a few hundred of your closest friends when the weather warms. Then he thought, there’s beautiful Bret Harte Hall at Roaring Camp! The winter months aren’t all that busy, why not put on a little indoor festival to bring some festie vibe while waiting for spring? The one-day Winter Warmer Festival is happening at Bret Harte Hall at Roaring Camp Saturday, February 15, 2025 from 3:00 to 9:30 pm featuring an all-star lineup of smoking hot music, amazing local food and drink, and an exciting crafter marketplace. “This is something we want to be an annual tradition,” Andrew said. “We’ve got four great bands, just a ton of variety hitting on different genres.” With tremendous enthusiasm from the music community and catching the buzz on the street, Andrew said, “I’m really excited! It’s just a slow time of year and this will be a great excuse to get everyone together!”
An All-Star Lineup
Winter Warmer Festival features world class musicians branching out in fresh directions.
Forrest Day – Hailing from the East Bay, Forrest grew up on jazz, then got into hip hop. The charismatic 5-piece band has been playing the Bay for a decade and features Forrest Day on lead vocals and sax; Nick Wyner on keys and vocals; Chris Carlos on bass; Javier Torres on drums; and Benjamin Andrews on guitar and vocals. Headlining the festival, Forrest Day plays at 8:00 pm.

Greg Loiacono & Stingray – Greg Loiacono is co-frontman of the Mother Hips along with Tim Bluhm. Mother Hips formed in Chico in the early 90s and still draws a dedicated following. The side project is called Stingray and includes Loiacono on guitar; Danny Eisenburg on keys; Vicki Randle on percussion; Kofy Brown on bass; and Mike Rubano on drums. Greg Loiacono & Stingray play at 6:15 pm.

Benjamin Andrews – A side project featuring three members of San Francisco’s exciting Con Brio, Benjamin Andrews on guitar; Jonathan Kirchner on bass; and Andrew Laubacher on drums. All-new original music and a departure from what Con Brio fans might expect! The band plays at 5:00 pm.

Rory Lynch Band – Santa Cruz based singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and composer, Rory Lynch has gathered top musicians for this festival. Rowan Graves on drums, who has played with Anhedonia, Perch, Mak Nova, GTRI, and others; and bassist Dan Robbins who can play anything, jazz, super dirty funk, Grateful Dead, bluegrass, anything you can think of at the highest level possible. Rory’s adding some horns, as well, so this will be a really full sound. Rory Lynch Band plays at 3:30 pm.

Food, Drink & Art
Andrew is bringing in comfort food from Shockwave, which also creates the menu at Felton Music Hall. Picture cold-weather busting shepherd’s pie and grilled cheese with tomato soup. Shanty Shack Brewing out of Santa Cruz provides the craft beer, and there will be local wine and non-alcoholic beverages as well. For dessert? La Casa de Churros will be making fresh churros! Fun fact: they’re vegan, no egg, no dairy! The following Santa Cruz Mountains artists, vendors, and organizations will be on hand:
> Fern Meadow Quinn — Water color & canvas. Fern also created the poster for the festival, see image below.
> Sun Wizard Creations — Leather designs from Errol G. Specter
> SCM Clothing — Santa Cruz Mountains themed apparel from Erik Waage
> The Dragon Flies — Painted apparel from Chrissy Wagner
> Foxy Monster — Bear hoods & leg warmers from Ashley Larson
> Mahanahula Creations — Handmade jewelry & henna from Delaura Estes
> Brewtrails — Day hike to the festival hosted by Rob Cattivera. More info: @brewtrails
> San Lorenzo Valley Post — Julie Horner from the Santa Cruz Mountains local newspaper | slvpost.com / @slvpostnews
> KBCZ 89.3 FM — DJs Brian and Erin Valdevia from Boulder Creek Community Radio | kbcz.org
> Empowering Hands Therapeutic Massage — 10-minute massages
> Zayante Volunteer Fire Department — A portion of drink sales support new and updated firefighting equipment
Andrew has already applied for the space for next year. “I’m seeing this as a long term commitment,” he said. “We’ve really got it great here in Santa Cruz County and up here at Roaring Camp. It’s really a beautiful, lively, festive place!” Tix: winterwarmer831.com

Poster art by Fern Meadow Quin
Featured photo: Andrew Myers at Bret Harte Hall | Photo by Julie Horner
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Julie Horner is Co-Founder and Editor for the San Lorenzo Valley Post. Julie lives and works in Boulder Creek and is an active participant in the county's vibrant music scene. She loves the outdoors and is the go-to expert on Santa Cruz Mountains hiking trails.