Farm to Family Full Moon Festival, a three-day outdoor music festival is being relocated.
Don Appelbaum's property, which previously hosted the event every full moon, can no longer sustain the event's capacity.
Appelbaum, 62, had to call it quits this summer when he received a formal request from his neighbors to discontinue the festival.
The noise brought on by hundreds of partygoers and musicians had become too much for his neighbors.
He is opting to not fight the request, and he said it's because this that he gets to keep his party going.
Alachua County officials also found Appelbaum lacks proper event permits to host live shows on his 40-acre property. By code, large gatherings must be scheduled at least 60 days apart. The full moon, however, comes every 28 days. But he said he is willing to comply with their demands.
"I just want to be a good neighbor," Appelbaum said. "They moved out to the country for quiet."
Appelbaum started the festival in 2005, after his organic farm business begun to suffer.
Although he still works in the farming industry, the music festival also helps pay his mortage now. Tickets to the event run $15 to $20 per day or $40 for a weekend pass.
"Everybody likes to dance, but that requires louder music," Appelbaum said.
He began by catering to middle-age bluegrass lovers like himself, but in recent years, Appelbaum started bringing out newer, more popular Afro-rock, ska and jazz bands - The Duppies, Umoja Orchestra, De Lions of Jah.
Fans followed in huge masses, as the event has hosted up to 600 people at some shows. He realized then the event was getting out of hand.
"It's like a baby in the womb. At some point it has to come out," Appelbaum said. "We either expand or go away."
Appelbaum is forced to search for larger, more welcoming venues to host the growing festival each new moon.
He does not bemoan the fact that his festival will never be on his property again, and he doesn't expect those who come to the shows to do so either.
"It was such a magical thing, but that magic isn't confined to just one place. When the people come, the magic starts," Appelbaum said.
The stage for the bands to perform on is conveniently made from a converted produce trailer and pieces of an old greenhouse for the covering, so mobility is not an issue.
In April, Appelbaum found a farm just a few miles up the road from his farm in Alachua in which to host the May event.
Brian McElroy, owner of the 210-acre McElroy farm expressed interest in hosting the event after the pair met at the April festival.
McElroy plans to host another Farm to Family Full Moon event on Oct. 3.
"On my end it was very stress free and a lot of fun," McElroy said. "They're real good people."
Appelbaum has also located another venue in which to host the September festival, which will be held to kick off the Gator football season.
On Sept. 4, 5 and 6, the Farm to Family Full Moon Gator Party will be at the Lions Club Music Park in High Springs.
Appelbaum plans to televise the UF- Charleston Southern game on flat screens and have the biggest Gator Party anywhere.
Fifteen bands will hit the stage on Saturday and Sunday, with a pre-party and drum clinic being held on Friday.
There is a tentative schedule of Full Moon Festivals to come after the Sept. 5 and Oct. 3 events, but he will have to keep scouting the location for subsequent festivals, he wants to host in late October, November and January.
Appelbaum will keep Farm to Family goers posted as to the location at www.farmtofamilymusic.com.
