GLENS FALLS, N.Y. (NEWS10) – The Shirt Factory’s annual Glens Falls Entertainment & Music (GEM) Festival brings local art and music together in the heart of town every year. This week, the festival has opened applications for bands to join in on the music in 2023.

GEM Fest has made its home at the Shirt Factory since 2021, after having first taken place at City Park before the COVID-19 pandemic. The festival marries local and regional bands with the talents of the artists who call the Glens Falls and Lake George region home.

Applications are open now for GEM Fest’s 2023 band list. Bands are asked to submit a recorded track for consideration, stage plot plan, as well as basic information such as name and genre. The application form gives a planned festival date of Saturday, July 22, with a rain date of Sunday, July 23.

GEM Fest packs a lot of bands into a single day. In 2022, the festival hosted 24 bands, as well as 13 featured artists. The music occupies two main stages, as well as a smaller third venue at Rock Hill Bakehouse Cafe. Artists can be expected to vend their wares, and even paint live for attendees to enjoy.