About

Lobby Muddy Fest started off as a regular Sunday ritual, where a handful of local friends would meet at O’Brien’s Pub to have some lobster rolls, a few mudslides and discuss the night before. The friendly get-together quickly gained popularity on social media and after an overwhelming turnout one Sunday afternoon, the founders decided that this routine hangout could become so much more.  The founders of the event include Jimmy Miller, Billy Palmer, Ben Iacoi and Jim Iacoi.

“We honestly saw an opportunity to turn something that we did weekly into something that would bring people together to benefit a bigger cause.  Mental illness has affected a lot of our lives in many different ways, so working with a charity that focuses on this disease was a no-brainer for us.” 

-James Miller, Co-founder

Lobby Muddy Fest debuted on a small scale in the summer of 2020 because of the COVID-19 Pandemic. During the summer of 2021, the event welcomed back its original supporters and introduced new attendees, hosting over 200 guests at Dockside in Newport, RI. In November of 2021, the non-profit expanded into Boston, hosting its first Lobby Muddy Winterfest event. In the summer of 2022, Lobby Muddy Fest returned to Dockside, hosting over 400 guests at the waterfront venue and raising $15,000 for its new charity partner, Newport Mental Health.

To date, Lobby Muddy Fest has donated over $25,000 to charities, including The Jimmy Fund and Newport Mental Health. The non-profit will be hosting its flagship event at Smugglers Waterfront Bar in Newport, RI on Saturday, August 12th, 2023.