Soul Fly Charleston combines music and fly fishing community into one daylong festival at The Refinery on Saturday, May 16th. Headliners The Stews and Mountain Grass Unit perform alongside Leon Majcen and Bandito, plus fishing-themed activations, vendors, food, art, and more.
Presented by Marsh Wear and with proceeds to benefit Charleston Waterkeeper, Soul Fly seeks to celebrate the Lowcountry and the natural resources that it provides, while enjoying some great music.
Soul Fly was founded by two fly fishing enthusiasts, Alec Griswold and Kyle Schaefer, both of whom have been in the outdoor industry their whole lives. Together they founded the Soul Fly Lodge in the Bahamas, a fly fishing destination that focuses on the same community spirit.
“Our goal for going into business together was to take a community first approach with everything that we do, while protecting the resources around us,” says co-founder Alec Griswold.
This community-driven mindset led them to success in the Bahamas, and soon it was time to pursue their next opportunity. One thing that stood out was how despite being a fully outdoor sport, fly fishing meetups often take place in parking lots and conference rooms.
“Every time we’re together with other fly fishing people, if we’re not on the water, we’re in a convention center or parking lot,” Alec says. “There’s no real event out there that captures the community spirit of our sport.”
Soul Fly Charleston fills that gap with an excellent day at The Refinery, filled with music, art, conservation, and local food & drink. It seeks to break down barriers to entry and make fly fishing accessible to all, even those who just come for the music.
“The vibe is open to anyone,” Alec says. “If you don’t know anything about fly fishing, it doesn’t matter. If you’re coming for the music, awesome. We can’t wait to see you, and maybe you’ll get interested in an aspect of the sport or learn something from the day. We’re excited to be part of the community and really make this a long-term event.”
Soul Fly will be a traveling show, with festivals planned in other cities including Boston in September. In each city they will partner with local businesses and a conservation-focused nonprofit.
“Each event that we’re doing, we want to hand select a local grassroots nonprofit and work with them. Beyond hopefully raising a fair amount of money for them, also help get people excited about protecting the water.”
In addition to the music and community, Soul Fly will also have a trade show element where industry brands will be set up to engage with fun activities and activations. Almost like a country fair for fly fishing.
“We’re obviously on land, so there’s not a whole lot of fish around, but we have a lot of these little fly fishing activations and silly carnival style games.”
Soul Fly also offers an exclusive VIP experience (21+) including:
- Dedicated entry, VIP lounge, exclusive bar and bathroom
- Bites from 167 Raw, Chef PJ Calapa, & Oxbox Brewing Co pours
- Acoustic sessions
- Art with David Danforth
- Curated merch bag
- Entry to win Soul Fly Lodge Bahamas trip & more
Tickets are available here.
