Crossroads Guitar Festival 2010 - Guitar Center Village

Guitar Center Village

Back by enormous popular demand at the 2010 Crossroads Guitar Festival was THE GUITAR CENTER VILLAGE AT CROSSROADS. Appealing to musicians and fans alike, the Village featured over twenty guitar-centric exhibitors, including the finest guitar manufacturers on the planet, as well as the best amplification and gear brands. In addition to hosting the Village, Guitar Center brought its infamous Legends Collection of famous vintage guitars, including Clapton's awe-inspiring "Blackie" Fender Stratocaster and Gibson ES-335, Stevie Ray Vaughn's iconic Strat "Lenny", and a stellar collection of must-see rarities. Festival attendess got in line early to see these amazing guitars, as the Legends Collection was one of the most popular exhibits in the Village.

Another great attraction at the Village was the Ernie Ball Stage, from which a series of Master Guitar Clinics ran continuously from 10:00 a.m. to mid-afternoon. Among the main stage performers who agreed to conduct a clinic are Albert Lee, Bert Jansch, Joe Bonamassa, Robert Randolph, Sonny Landreth, and Stefan Grossman, and blues legends Honeboy Edwards and Hubert Sumlin. The winner of the "Ernie Ball Play Crossroads" contest for unsigned musicians, The Ryan McGarvey Band, also got a chance to shine on the Ernie Ball Stage. This was one of the highlights of the Village experience!

Individual exhibitors in the Village showcased their products and offered hands-on demonstrations, including interactive displays and plug and play opportunities. In addition, one Village exhibitor offered an exclusive sneak peek of a very cool new, interactive music video game, before its release to the public, that promises to give those guitar and band games a run for their money. Those at the Village were among the first people in the world to see a demo.

Volunteers sold Crossroads raffle tickets throughout Guitar Center Village. Yes! You could enter to win any of the amazing prizes below for as little as $2 apiece (or $10 for six tickets). And, you could purchase as many tickets as you liked and enter to win as many of the prizes as you liked. Raffle tickets could be purchased as you entered Guitar Center Village and at the Raffle Booth next to the T-Mobile tent. All winners were notified by the phone number they provided on their raffle tickets and could pick up their raffle items at East Guest Services between 7 PM and 11 PM. All proceeds went to the Crossroads Centre at Antigua.The raffle raised over $14,000 for this important cause!

Of course, specially marked merchandise tents in the Village carried an array of official Crossroads Guitar Festival gear, including t-shirts, hats, tote bags, key chains, and another numbered, limited edition silk screen print. The prints sell out every year. And, when you got hungry, a tasty menu of food and beverages, based on a "Taste of Chicago" theme, was located throughout the Village.

Finally and importantly, key personnel from the Crossroads Centre at Antigua were on site in the Village to provide confidential information on the Centre's world-renowned rehabilitation and treatment services for those suffering from addictive behaviors. You could also find out how to get involved and support the Crossroads Foundation beyond the festival, a cause that Eric has called the most important work of his life.

The Guitar Center Village at Crossroads was located at the main entrance of Toyota Park. Gates were open from 10:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. All Village exhibits, Master Guitar Clinics and performances were free to everyone lucky enough to have a ticket to the Crossroads Guitar Festival.