Rock out and chill out at Wildwood MusicFest
You can bring the kids, as organizers are offering a rich array of children's activities all three days. But the family dog will have to stay home.
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The event is being held at the Roshambo Art Farm, on Highway 18 between Sheridan and Willamina.
Gates are set to open at 10 a.m. Friday, July 17. The festivities are slated to get underway at 3 that afternoon and run through 3 the afternoon of Sunday, July 19.
Jeffrey Martin, a folk singer and songwriter who's performed every year since the festival debuted in 2012, will be taking the stage around mid-day Saturday. He plans to spend the rest of the weekend jamming with other musicians, catching their acts, hanging out with them and mingling with festival-goers.
"It's like a big family there," Martin said. "It doesn't feel pretentious at all. It's how a festival should feel."
He went on to note, "It's also really family-friendly," citing a wide array of activities on tap for youngsters. The Kids' Court lineup includes a Saturuday morning performance by Red Yarn, complete with a puppet show.
As an added bonus, a trolley will shuttle folks between the venue and a local swimming hole all day Saturday.
Katie Vinson-Kendall, who owns Willamina's Wildwood Hotel with her sister, Meredith, is one of the event organizers. The sisters have been hosting live music events at the hotel for the past eight years, and the festival is an extension of that.
"The relationships with bands that we formed by having live music at the Wildwood Hotel helped get so many musicians behind the idea leading up to the first year," Vinson-Kendall said. "It is really because of those bands, like Root Jack, McDougall, Hillstomp, Lone Madrone, Right on John, et cetera, that we had an easier time hitting the ground running."
She said bands signed on for the festival because of their relationship with the hotel. She said that enabled them to book acts with great track records in the Northwest music scene.
That, in turn, draws listeners. Last year, the event drew about 1,000, and Vinson-Kendall is bracing for 1,200 this year.
About 80 percent of attendees are coming from out of the area, mostly from Portland. "It’s nice to let them experience the beauty in the countryside and all the things we get to have out here that they wouldn’t normally experience," Vinson-Kendall said.
There are still a few open spots for volunteers. If interested, e-mail wwmfvolunteers@gmail.com.
Tickets for the three-day festival can be purchased online. They are free for children 12 and under and $85 for everyone else, plus a vendor fee.
Camping for the weekend runs $10 per person, with parking. Sites are limited to holders of festival tickets, however.
The organizers have also created a separate day-use area. Cars are allowed to come and go from the day-use area, but not from the weekend camper lot.
Small trailers and RVs are welcome. Call Katie Vinson-Kendall at 971-241-3173 to inquire about large RVs.
For tickets or additional information, visit www.wildwoodmusicfest.com.
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