The Hold Steady, Bobby Rush and others will play at XPoNential, despite Ophelia’s rain and wind

The second day of Philadelphia public radio station WXPN’s annual, three-day outdoor XPoNential Music Festival will still happen on Saturday despite wind and rain from Tropical Storm Ophelia.

At noon, organizers announced that the festival would continue but noted in a news release that “due to weather-related technical challenges and the reduced timing, we are unable to present the full line up previously scheduled.”

Gates opened at Wiggins Waterfront Park in Camden, at 1 p.m.

On the River Stage, the schedule includes Julia Pratt at 1, Sammy Rae & The Friends at 2:45, and the Hold Steady at 4:15.

On the Marina Stage, Bailen will play at 2, Bobby Rush at 3:30, and Wednesday at 5:00.

“The artists who are unable to perform share our disappointment,” WXPN’s news release states. These include, Tegan and Sara, Wilder Woods, Celisse, and Moustapha Noumbissi.

The schedule is subject to change, depending on how Ophelia progresses. Camden is sufficiently inland that it should be shielded from the strongest wind gusts. So far flooding has only been reported in coastal areas.

XPoNential is celebrating its 30th anniversary, though it hasn’t always gone that name. When it was founded in 1994, it was staged at the Great Plaza at Penn’s Landing in Old City and called “Singer-Songwriter Weekend,” reflecting XPN’s narrower musical focus at the time.

The festival, which is the University of Pennsylvania radio station’s signature event of the year, to Wiggins Park in 2005 and was known as the It’s All About the Music Festival’ for 2005 and 2006. “Then people convinced me that wasn’t a very good name,” general manager Roger LaMay said. “And we changed it to XPoNential.”

In 2012 the fest expanded to include shows next door at the capacious amphitheater that is now known Freedom Mortgage Pavilion. Bob Dylan, Wilco, Sturgill Simpson, Patti Smith, Blondie and the War on Drugs are among the bands that played XPoNential shows there over the years in the building, which holds 7000 people under a roof.

This year, however, the fest is again being held entirely at the River and Marina stages at Wiggins, which is entirely uncovered.

WXPN recommends attendees bring umbrellas, ponchos, and extra layers to ensure comfort during the inclement weather.