The second annual Highlands Festival at Waterloo, hosted by the New Jersey Highlands Coalition, announces its lineup of nonstop music, September 20 and 21. The festival celebrates Waterloo Village’s past as a renowned performance venue, enriched by the historic nature of the site and the wealth of musical talent in New Jersey and surrounding areas.

This year’s festival is headlined by Jim Weider’s PRoJECT PERCoLAToR on Saturday evening and the Main Squeeze on Sunday afternoon.

Weider, who spent his formative years immersed in the music culture of the famed arts colony of Woodstock, New York, and was the lead guitarist for fifteen years for The Band, cites a wide range of influences on his rock and blues-based signature sound. PRoJECT PERCoLAToR represents his latest venture,blending rock and blues with funk and jazz.

The Main Squeeze’s 2012 debut album features an eclectic mix of funk, rock, electro, and jazz. The band has quickly developed a growing fan base on the East Coast and in the Midwest. Chosen by Rolling Stone magazine to open for the Roots and Jane’s Addiction at the official Super Bowl XLVI tailgate party in Indianapolis, they also performed at the 2012 Bonaroo Music Festival.

Also on the Main Stage are Citizens Band Radio, Quimby Mountain Band, Zak Smith Band, Subcommittee, Nadïne LaFond, Schooley Mountain Band, Hawk Owls, and Steel City Sunrise.

The festival’s Acoustic Stage will feature Mike Esposito, Robin DeLorenzo, Byrdgrass, Arlon Bennett, the Paul Gargiulo Band, Len Mooney, Gordon Thomas Ward and George Baier. 

In addition to great music, the Highlands Festival at Waterloo will feature a local food court, a living green expo, a craft and fair-trade marketplace, exhibits from environmental nonprofits, tours of the Waterloo historic district and Lenni Lenape Village, canal rides, kayaking, chefs’ cooking demonstrations, workshops and more.Tickets are $15 online,$25 at the door, with kids under 12 free.

For more information, email [email protected] a music schedule of the two-day event, go to HighlandsFestivalAtWaterloo.org.