Milton-based business Frantic Frets Music and Sunroom Songwriter’s Series House Concerts in Dover will be hosting a virtual three-day music festival to benefit Milton resident and local musician Christine Havrilla with her fight against breast cancer.

The benefit show, HavrillaPalooza, will feature virtual performances by more than 20 area musicians who are all donating their time and talent for the event which will be broadcast live on Facebook beginning from 3:45 to 9 p.m., Friday, May 8; 3 to 10 p.m., Saturday, May 9; and 3 to 9 p.m., Sunday, May 10.

The event came about when Al and Mary “Frantic” Knight, owners of Frantic Frets, saw a Facebook post about a GoFundMe campaign for Havrilla. The couple first met Havrilla when she came into their shop one day. After talking, they realized they all were from northern New Jersey and now all reside in Milton. Mary Knight then reached out to good friend Nancy Maliwesky of Sunroom Songwriter’s Series, knowing she had contacts with numerous musicians including Havrilla, through the house concerts she hosts together with her husband Jerry. Knight asked Maliwesky if they would be interested in helping to organize this event and together they began planning HavrillaPalooza.

Like most working musicians, Havrilla has found herself out of work mid-March when venues were forced to close down due to the coronavirus pandemic. This left her without a job, along with other fellow working musicians. It was shortly after this that she was diagnosed with breast cancer and began undergoing treatments. Day-to-day bills continue to rack up for Havrilla while she is out of work. The financial burden is compounded by unforeseen medical expenses for the tests and treatments she is currently undergoing.

The GoFundMe campaign was organized by some of Havrilla’s friends, including Dirk Externest who said, “When we started the Christine Havrilla emergency fund campaign we were certainly hoping for a solid response in order to support Christine in her dire situation. This has come true now, and then some. Now Mary and Nancy have organized HavrillaPalooza to boost the cause further. It's another opportunity to give back for the decades of countless occasions, and moments Christine has blessed our lives with music and love.” 

In addition to the music, there is an online auction with art pieces donated by various local artists. To view the auction items, event information, a link to donate and schedule of performers, go to Facebook and search HavrillaPalooza, where the music will be streaming. To view the livestream without Facebook , go to www.franticfrets.com.

Participating performers include Kim Butler, Billy Band, Bettenroo, Natalie Darkes, Robbie LaBlanc, Nancy Maliwesky, Cathy Jane, Sticky Notes, Kelly Ricketts, Keri Anthony, Sol Knopf, Ellie Spy, Jason McPherson, Jason Wilcox, Gretchen Schultz, Tim Cooney and Al Frantic with Jill Brady.