5 minute read
Don't Miss These Oregon Music Festivals This Summer
Get Ready for Music Fest Season
Six great places to catch live shows this summer
written by Ben Salmon
Oregon is a place full of wonderful music, and in the summer, much of that music can be heard at music festivals across the state. They happen in the middle of cities and in open pastures and just about anywhere you can fit a stage, a crowd and room to dance in the sunshine (or under the stars). Here are six fests happening in Oregon this summer that deserve a spot on your calendar of fun things to do.
Britt Music & Arts Festival
Every Oregonian should experience at least one concert at the Britt Pavilion, a naturally formed amphitheater set among majestic ponderosa pines and native madrones on the estate of nineteenth-century photographer Peter Britt. This summer, you’ll have many chances to do exactly that, as the Britt festival is not a long, hot weekend in a field staring at a stage, but a diverse concert series that runs from June to September, bringing major names from the worlds of pop, rock, country, jazz and classical music to Southern Oregon. There’s a reason this thing has been happening since 1963!
Dates: Through September
Location: Britt Pavilion, Jacksonville
Lineup highlights: Regina Spektor, Brothers Osborne, Rainbow Kitten Surprise, Leftover Salmon, Chicago
More info: www.brittfest.org
Oregon Jamboree
If country music is your jam, then the Oregon Jamboree is for you. Nestled in the foothills of the Cascade mountains, the event features two stages and twenty-five artists, ranging from longtime country stars to up-and-coming acts and all points in between.
And if you’re a history buff (or a bridge buff), take a break from the tunes for a short walk to the Weddle Covered Bridge, a 120-foot span across Ames Creek that was built in 1937 and relocated to its current spot in 1989. Country music and covered bridges— they go together like Johnny and June Carter Cash!
Dates: August 1-3
Location: Sweet Home
Lineup highlights: Clay Walker, Shane Smith and The Saints, Deana Carter, Jordan Davis, Sawyer Brown
More info: www.oregonjamboree.com
Sisters Folk Festival
There are a lot of beautiful things about Sisters Folk Festival, but one of the most beautiful is how the annual event takes over the picturesque town of Sisters. With seven stages all within walking distance of each other, this is music-festing at an ambler’s pace, which makes it incredibly easy to bounce from place to place and catch a dazzling array of artists playing on big stages and in intimate venues. Don’t let the name fool you: Sisters brings in folk singers, but also blues, bluegrass, world music, rock ’n’ roll and beyond, plus an A+ experience.
Dates: September 26-28
Location: Across the town of Sisters
Lineup highlights: Loudon Wainwright III, Katie Pruitt, Kyshona, Martyn Joseph, Grace Bowers & The Hodge Podge
More info: www.sistersfolkfest.org
Reggae Rise Up
Over the past couple of years, the Deschutes County fairgrounds in Redmond has started hosting big, multiday music festivals. This year brings a newcomer: Reggae Rise Up, which is the Oregon installment of a series of events across several states. As you can probably guess, it is a celebration of reggae music, with strong nods to hip-hop, dub, ska, pop, electronic music and other styles that fit in with the irie vibes. And don’t worry: There’ll be food available if you get the munchies, and on-site camping if you find yourself blazing in the sun.
Dates: August 29-31
Location: Deschutes County Fair & Expo Center, Redmond
Lineup highlights: Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley and Stephen Marley, Slightly Stoopid, Cypress Hill, Michael Franti & Spearhead
More info: www.reggaeriseup.com
Pickathon Music Festival
The world-renowned Pickathon festival has evolved in recent years, but three important components remain unchanged: the venue—a rustic, forested farm on the outskirts of Portland that feels like a magical world on festival weekend; the lineup, which is expertly curated and consistently ripe for discovery of new favorite bands; and the spirit of Pickathon, where art, music, families, food and sustainability come together to form one of the best music festival experiences not only in Oregon, but the entire country.
Dates: July 31-August 3
Location: Pendarvis Farm, Happy Valley
Lineup highlights: Portugal. The Man, Taj Mahal, Greensky Bluegrass, Reyna Tropical, Fruit Bats, Haley Heynderickx
More info: www.pickathon.com
Rock the Locks Music Festival
They keep saying rock ’n’ roll is dead. They’re wrong of course. Rock ’n’ roll is alive and well outside the mainstream, including in Umatilla, where the Rock the Locks festival will present three days of loud ’n’ proud bands that know how to plug in their amps and crank ’em up to eleven. The lineup includes bands from multiple decades, so there’s something for everyone, from your grandpa who loved Guns N’ Roses to kids interested in finding the next big thing. And with food vendors, beer gardens and on-site camping, you’ll have something to do when your neck is tired from all that headbanging.
Dates: September 26-28
Location: Big River Golf Course, Umatilla
Lineup highlights: Seether, The All-American Rejects, Third Eye Blind, Skillet, Black Veil Brides
More info: www.rockthelocks.org
