Post-Fisherman’s Village, Everett’s big, three-day music fest, here are some of the upcoming Pacific Northwest music festivals:
Northwest Folklife Festival
May 27-30, Seattle Center, free www.nwfolklife.org
For the past 45 years, this gathering has celebrated the music and arts made by people who make the Northwest home, drawing an estimated 250,000 revelers to Seattle Center each Memorial Day weekend. Fittingly, it remains for anyone to attend.
Notable acts: Mighty Dreadful String Band, The Banner Days, Linda Waterfall, Squirrel Butter, Rabbit Wilde, Karl Blau, Stacy Jones
Sasquatch! Festival
May 27-30, George, $350 sasquatchfestival.com
Started in 2002, this oldest of the Northwest’s destination festivals features views of the Columbia River from the Gorge Amphitheatre.
Notable acts: Fauna Shade, Florence &The Machine, The Cure, Alabama Shakes, A$AP Rocky, Chet Faker, Sufjan Stevens, Tycho
Volume: Inlander Music Festival
June 3-4, Spokane, $20 volume.inlander.com
Doggedly regional, this event features 100 up-and-comers from throughout the Northwest at 10 venues around the city.
Notable acts: Kris Orlowski, Shabazz Palaces, Prairie War, Never Young
Big Bldg Bash
June 4, Seattle, $20 bigbldgbash.com
The all-ages, one-day, not-for-profit music festival, which is in its third year, offers 50 plus acts, an arts market, food trucks, local beer on tap and free parking.
Notable acts: Acid Tongue, Charms, NVRS LVRS, Pillar Point, Bod
Elkfest
June 10-12, Spokane, free elkfestspokane.com
This festival has filled the street’s of the historic Browne’s Addition neighborhood for more than a decade. This grassroots weekend of music spurns sponsorship and puts indie acts front and center.
Notable acts: Down North, Rusty Cleavers, The Expanders, Duke Evers, The Rub
Levitation
June 16-19, Vancouver, B.C., $265 (with options) levitation-vancouver.com
With a blend of psychedelic, electronic and metal acts, this jam-packed offshoot of Austin’s Psych Fest comes to Stanley Park to bend ears and musical boundaries.
Notable acts: Of Montreal, Tycho, Sumac, Betrayers, Flying Lotus
What the Festival
June 17-20, Dufur, Ore., $275 whatthefestival.com
Held on the 250-acre Wolf Run Ranch in Mount Hood National Forest, this large-scale “beach” party features three stages, a wading pool, an illuminated forest and lots of electronic music.
Notable acts: Thievery Corporation, Bonobo, Lettuce, Claude VonStroke
Fremont Solstice Festival
June 17-19, Seattle, free fremontsolstice.com
The Fremont Solstice Fair’s parade — with its nude cyclists — gets the attention, but the music has become just as much fun.
Notable acts: Hey Marseilles, The Helio Sequence, Longstride, Uncle Bonsai, Seattle Rock Orchestra
Block Party at The Station
June 18, Seattle, free www.stationblockparty.com
The Station Cafe on Beacon Hill is the host of this one-day hip-hop festival.
Notable acts: Stasia Menschel, DoNormaal, Sleep Steady
Victoria International Jazz Fest
June 24-July 3, Victoria, B.C., prices vary, jazzvictoria.ca/jazz-fest
Jazz, blues and world-beat music flood the town’s historic streets and attract huge crowds.
Notable acts: Tedeschi Trucks, Joe Jackson, Joe Lovano Quartet, Neko Case, k.d. lang, Laura Veirs
The Spur Festival
June 24-26, Darrington, $120 with camping, www.thespurfestival.com
Darrington’s Music Park festival season begins with this second annual country music festival. Tickets are discounted if purchased before June 3.
Notable acts: Tayla Lynn, Knut Bell, Marlin James, Froghollow, Nashville Northwest
Paradiso Festival
June 24-25, George, $239 paradisofestival.com
The largest annual EDM gathering in the Pacific Northwest, this event regularly attracts some of the genre’s premiere DJs.
Notable acts: 12th planet, 4B, Alison Wonderland
Waterfront Blues Festival
July 1-4, Portland, Ore., $35 waterfrontbluesfest.com
The largest blues festival west of the Mississippi, this annual event began in 1987 as the Rose City Blues Festival. It benefits the Oregon Food Bank.
Notable acts: Curtis Salgado, Dr. John, Maceo Parker, Tedeschi Trucks, Grace Love &The True Loves, Jimmie Vaughn
Chinook Fest Summit
July 8-10, Snoqualmie, $55 chinookfest.com
Expect the sounds of roots rock, funk, folk and Americana musicians.
Notable acts: Current Swell, Rust on the Rails, Scott Pemberton, Rabbit Wilde, Polyrhythmics, Left Coast Gypsies, Fame Riot
Vancouver Island Musicfest
July 8-10, Courtenay, B.C., $169 www.islandmusicfest.com
Set on the banks of the Tsolum River in the Comox Valley, this show has six very different stages.
Notable acts: John Prine, Little Big Shot, The Sojourners, Michael Jerome Brown, 54-40
West Seattle Summer Fest
July 8-10, West Seattle, free wsjunction.org/summerfest
This family-friendly event features great music and a lot of cool stuff for kids.
Notable acts: Tacocat, Grace Love &the True Loves, Chastity Belt, Dusty 45s, Pillar Point
Ballard Seafood Fest
July 9-10, Seattle, free, seafoodfest.org
Music to go with your salmon and all things Ballard.
Lineup to be announced
Timber! Outdoor Music Festival
July 14-16, Carnation, $65 www.timbermusicfest.com
The festival is at the wonderful Tolt-MacDonald Park, with its intimate setting, and hiking and biking trails just on the other side of the Snoqualmie River.
Notable acts: Telekinesis, Deep Sea Diver, Jason Webley, The Moondoggies, Lemolo, The Maldives, Sundries, Delvon Lamar
Northwest String Summit
July 14-17, North Plains, Ore., prices vary, stringsummit.com.
Now in its 15th year, this annual event at the beautiful Horning’s Hideout west of Portland features a lot of bluegrass and jammin’ string bands. Look for the peacocks and the old Grateful Deadheads.
Notable acts: Yonder Mountain String Band, Greensky Bluegrass, Railroad Earth, Leftover Salmon, Keller Williams, MarchFourth Marching Band, Fruition, Rabbit Wilde
Pemberton Music Festival
July 14-17, Pemberton, B.C., $227 pembertonmusicfestival.com
This four-day event at the foot of Mount Currie in the pastoral Pemberton Valley, 25 minutes from Whistler, has a lineup that puts it in league with other big-time destination festivals. It’s a long drive, but worth it.
Notable acts: Pearl Jam, The Killers, Snoop Dogg, Cheech and Chong, Ice Cube, Billy Idol, The Chainsmokers
Darrington Bluegrass Festival
July 15-17, Darrington, $50 but prices vary www.darringtonbluegrass.com
The longest running bluegrass festival of its kind in the Northwest, Darrington’s family-friendly 40th anniversary festival is a celebration with banjos, fiddles and vocal harmonies.
Notable acts: The Combinations, Balsam Range, Mountain Faith, Wayne Taylor &Appaloosa, Jeff Scroggins &Colorado, Country Current, North Country
Vancouver Folk Music Festival
July 15-17, Vancouver, B.C., $155, thefestival.bc.ca
This internationally renowned festival at Jericho Beach Park brings in artists from around the world.
Notable acts: Bruce Cockburn, Jojo Abot, Wainwright Sisters, Nahko &Medicine for People, The New Pornographers, Leftover Salmon
Victoria International Busker Festival
July 15-24, Victoria, B.C., free, victoriabuskers.com
The sixth annual Victoria International Busker Festival welcomes regional and global street performers, including flame throwers, acrobats, magicians, jugglers, unicyclists, hula hoopers, giant puppets, balloonists and musicians.
Winthrop Rhythm &Blues Fest
July 15-17, Winthrop, $90 www.winthropbluesfestival.com
The festival brings some of the best blues artist to the Methow Valley.
Notable acts: Randy Hansen, Robert Randolph &the Family Band, Too Slim &the Taildraggers, Grace Love &the True Loves, the Fabulous Thunderbirds
Cascadia Northwest Arts &Music Festival
July 21-24, Granite Falls, $180 www.cascadianw.com
Music, crafts, workshops and camping at the Masonic Family Campgrounds.
Notable acts: Lee Burridge, YokoO, Oona Dahl, Tara Brooks
Capitol Hill Block Party
June 22-24, $135 capitolhillblockparty.com
Capitol Hill celebrates its 20th anniversary show by showcasing 100 local and national artists in three indoor venues, dozens of restaurants and bars, and on two outdoor stages.
Notable acts: Odesza, Chvrches, Crystal Castles, Cave Singers, Porter Ray
Rock the Shores
July 22-24, Colwood, B.C., $150 rocktheshores.com
A showcase of Vancouver Island’s finest homegrown talent and world-class hits on a beach just outside Victoria, with views of Mount Baker and the Olympic Mountains.
Notable acts: City and Colour, Metric, Arkells, Eagles of Death Metal
PDX Pop Now!
July 22-24, Portland, free pdxpopnow.com
Starting in true Portland fashion as a listserv that focused on promoting and discussing local music, PDX Pop Now! is dedicated to building participation in the Portland music scene.
Lineup to be announced.
StrutzFest
July 28-30, Darrington, $70, strutzfest.com
This classic rock festival, run by the Arlington-based band Strutz, is produced periodically at the Darrington music park. Benefits the Mike Turner Memorial Foundation.
Notable acts: Heart by Heart, Spike &The Impalers, Strutz, Whiskey River, El Loco, Michelle Taylor Band, Joe Slick Band
Doe Bay Fest
Aug. 4-8, Orcas Island, $150, doebayfest.com
Music, food, camping in the San Juans. What else is there? Tickets could sell out.
Lineup to be announced
Pickathon
Aug. 5-7, Happy Valley, Ore., $290, pickathon.com
Having long since strayed from its bluegrass moniker, this festival features a wide variety of artists while still focusing on Americana.
Notable acts: Jeff Tweedy, Yo La Tengo, The Oh Hellos, King Sunny Ade, La Luz, Foghorn Stringband
Summer Meltdown
Aug. 11-14, Darrington, $150 summermeltdownfest.com
Enjoy the view of Whitehorse Mountain and a diverse musical program while camping out with your family. One of the best fests around.
Notable acts: The True Spokes, Acorn Project, Let to Sea, Griz, STS9, Gramatik, Beats Antique, Flowmotion, Polecat, Keys N Krates
Stillaguamish Festival of the River
Aug. 13-14, Arlington, $10 to park, otherwise free festivaloftheriver.com
Put on by the Stillaguamish Tribe, the Festival of the River &Pow Wow takes place at the River Meadows County Park.
Notable acts: Medicine Hat, Jesse Taylor, Marley’s Ghost, Randy Woods, Peter Ali, Dana Lyons; headliners to be announced
Music Fest NW Project Pabst
Aug. 27-28, Portland, $90 portland.projectpabst.com
This joint festival is two days outdoors, rain or shine, on two stages in downtown Portland. Food trucks and beer add to the festival atmosphere.
Notable acts: Duran Duran, Tame Impala, Ice Cub, Ween
Bumbershoot
Sept. 2-4, Seattle Center, three-day pass $180 bumbershoot.com
Seattle’s very own annual music and arts festival, Bumbershoot includes live music, comedy, theater, film, visual arts, dance performance. It costs a pretty penny now, but Bumbershoot is still one of the best-loved contemporary festivals in North America.
Notable acts: Macklemore &Ryan Lewis, Death Cab for Cutie, KYGO, Tame Impala, third Eye Blind, Pretty Lights, DJ Snake, Halsey, Blind Boys of Alabama
— Gale Fiege, Herald Writer
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