A Festive Summer in the Northwest

Summer festivals in the Pacific Northwest this year will salute everybody and everything from Beethoven to Leonardo da Vinci, blackberries to chokecherries, and airplanes to steam engines.

In short, no matter what your interest, there’s a festival destination for you. Here is a quick rundown of some of the attractions that RVers will find this summer when they hit the road:

Vancouver International Jazz Festival
June 24–July 3— Such musical headliners as singers Diana Krall, Dianne Reeves and Mavis Staples, trumpeter Arturo Sandoval and the Dave Holland Quintet will perform at the Vancouver International Jazz Festival in Vancouver, British Columbia. Concerts will be held in theaters and other venues in an event sponsored by the Coastal Jazz and Blues Society. For information, call (604) 872-5200 or see www.jazzvancouver.com.

Seafair
July 2–Aug. 7— For 55 years, Seattle has celebrated the summer with Seafair, a series of events that includes hydroplane races and an air show. A milk carton derby will be staged at Green Lake July 2; the Seafair pirates will land at Alki Beach on July 9, and a marathon will be run on July 10. Other events will include the Southwest Airlines Torchlight Parade July 30, the Chevrolet Cup on Lake Washington Aug. 5-7, and the KeyBank Air Show presented by Boeing, Aug. 5-7. The air show will feature the U.S. Navy Blue Angels. For information, see www.seafair.com.

Arlington Air Show
July 6–10— Rare World War I and World War II planes from the Flying Heritage Collection of Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen will be on display at the Northwest Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) Fly-In at the Arlington Municipal Airport in Arlington, Washington. The collection, which is based at the Arlington airport, contains combat aircraft that have been painstakingly restored, with the help of original vendors.

Barbara Tolbert, Northwest EAA executive director, said, “These rare and beautifully restored airplanes will be a popular draw not only because of their significance to aviation history, but also because of the remarkable quality of the restorations that have taken place.”

The Arlington EAA Fly-In involves about 1,600 aircraft in a weeklong festival of aerial demonstrations, workshops and forums. Campsites are available, along with shower facilities, food service and transportation. There are no hookups. For information, call (360) 435-5857 or see www.nweaa.org.

Kent Cornucopia Days
July 14–17— Billed as South King County’s largest family festival, Kent Cornucopia Days in Kent, Washington, includes a carnival, dragon boat races, skateboard and soccer tournaments, a health and safety fair, entertainment and a parade. The festival is sponsored by the Kent Lions Club. For information, call (253) 852-LION or see www.kcdays.com

Winthrop Rhythm and Blues Festival
July 15–17— The 18th annual Winthrop Rhythm and Blues Festival will be held at the Blues Ranch, a mile west of Winthrop, Washington, on Highway 20. The event will open Friday with a street dance and an acoustic jam in the Festival Beer Garden. Performers during the three-day festival will include Polly O'Keary and The Rhythm Method, Ben Rice and the Youth Blues, Andy (Sugarcane) Collins, John Nemeth and the Jacks, D. K. Stewart, Coco Montoya, Renee Austin, W. C. Clark, the Randy Oxford Band, Lil Brian and the Zydeco Travelers, the Mannish Boys and Too Slim and the Taildraggers. Tickets are $55 in advance and $65 at the gate. Children 12 and younger are admitted free with an adult. Camping is $35 for three days. Promoters say they are working to improve this year’s event with portable showers, greener grounds and better dust suppression. For information and tickets, call (877) 996-9283 or see www.winthropbluesfestival.

Darrington Bluegrass Festival
July 15–17— IIIrd Tyme Out, seven-time winner of vocal group of the year awards from the International Bluegrass Music Association, will be featured at the Darrington Bluegrass Festival at a 40-acre park on Highway 530, three miles west of Darrington, Washington. The site is bordered by a river and offers a great view of White Horse Mountain. Dry camping is available.

The U.S. Navy bluegrass band, Country Current, also will be featured during the three-day event. Other scheduled performers are Sons of the Tarheels, Looking Glass, Rural Delivery, Four Chords of Wood, Three Quarter Time, Knaughty Pine, the Buckhorn Mountain Boys, Queens Bluegrass, Lost in the Fog, the Dunton Sisters and the Combinations. Tickets can be purchased by calling (800) 422-3048 or online at www.glacierview.net/bluegrass.

Da Vinci Days
July 15–17—The 17th annual da Vinci Days Festival in Corvallis, Oregon, salutes the genius of Leonardo da Vinci by staging a film and video festival, a poetry slam, a kinetic sculpture race through water, mud and sand and a demolition derby featuring robotic cars. Events will be held at various locations, including Oregon State University. For information, see www.davinci-days.org.

Oregon Coast Music Festival
July 21–31— The Oregon Coast Music Festival will bring classical music and jazz to concerts in Coos Bay, North Bend, Bandon, Shore Acres and Charleston, Oregon. The schedule will include two full symphony orchestra concerts, a pops concert, chamber music and two free outdoor events. For information, call (541) 267-0938 or see www.oregoncoastmusic.com.

Hot August Nights
July 30 – Aug. 7— Classic cars and oldies music bring hundreds of thousands of people to Reno, Nevada, every year for Hot August Nights. There are 5,000 cars registered for the event, including 2,500 from California, 1,500 from Nevada, 280 from Oregon and 220 from Washington. Hot August Nights includes a prom night, drag races, a swap meet, controlled cruises and dozens of concerts—many of them free. Last year’s performers included Three Dog Night, Englebert Humperdinck, Heart, Johnny Rivers, the Village People, the Beach Boys and the Supremes starring Mary Wilson. This year’s entertainment lineup will be announced this month. For information, see www.hotaugustnights.net

Great Oregon Steam-Up
July 30–31, Aug. 6–7— The 35th edition of the Great Oregon Steam-Up will celebrate steam-power equipment and antique farm machinery at the Antique Powerland Museum in Brooks, Oregon, north of Salem. Visitors will see operating steam, gas and oil tractors, engines and machines; a sawmill operation; wheat threshing, baling and binding, and tractor pulls. There will also be streetcar and miniature rail rides, musical entertainment, a parade, a flea market and food concessions. Admission is $8, with children 12 and younger admitted free. RV campsites are available for $12 per night and dry camping is offered for $7 per night. For information, see www.antiquepowerland.com.

Anacortes Arts Festival
Aug. 5–7— An art show, a fiber boutique, musical entertainment, a beer garden, international cuisine, poetry readings, and demonstrations by working artists will be offered at the 44th annual Anacortes Arts Festival in Anacortes, Washington. The festival will run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. This year’s art show will be NuArt: 05: Juror’s Choice, featuring works chosen by past festival jurors. The art show, which will be held at the port warehouse at the north end of Commercial Avenue, also will be open limited hours in the week preceding the festival. For information, call (360) 293-6211 or see www.anacortesartsfestival.com.

Huckleberry Days
Aug. 12–14— Drinks, entrees and desserts that use huckleberries will be served at restaurants in Whitefish, Montana, during the annual Huckleberry Days. The event also features a huckleberry cook-off, pie-eating contest, street dance, art fair and entertainment. For information, phone (406) 862-3501 or see www.whitefishchamber.org.

Bronze, Blues & Brews
Aug. 13— Blues performers will be on stage from 1 to 10 p.m. at Bronze, Blues and Brews at the City Park in Joseph in northeast Oregon. A beer and wine garden will offer beer from Pacific Northwest breweries. Valley Bronze of Oregon will display bronze statues in the park. Blues performers will include Tinsley Ellis, Michael Burks, Janiva Magness, Mark Lemhouse and dk4, featuring Dave Stewart. Camping is available at Wallowa Lake State Park and at other sites within a few miles of the festival. For information, visit www.bronzebluesbrews.com.

Bellingham Festival of Music
Aug. 6–21— The 2005 Bellingham Festival of Music will open at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 6, with the Bellingham Festival Orchestra playing Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. The opening night concert will be held at Mt. Baker Theatre, and subsequent concerts, including jazz, ethnic and classical music, will be presented at Mt. Baker Theatre and at other venues in Bellingham, Washington. For information, see www.bellinghamfestival.org.

Tomato Festival
Aug. 13—You can join in stomping 60 gallons of tomatoes and watch the movie, Attack of the Killer Tomatoes, during the free Tomato Festival in downtown Yuba City, California. The event will offer tomato-growing advice from master gardeners, and tomato recipes and demonstrations by chefs. Other attractions will include international music, a Bloody Mary Cocktail Garden, and a play area for children. For information, call (530) 218-2320 or see www.tomatofestival.net.

A Taste of Edmonds
Aug. 12–14—A beer garden, wine garden, food booths and roving artists will be among the attractions at A Taste of Edmonds at a site on Bell Street and the Civic Center Playfield between Seventh and Sixth avenues in Edmonds, Washington. The event will be held from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday. For information, call the Greater Edmonds Chamber of Commerce at (425) 670-1496 or see www.edmondswa.com/events/taste.

Kite Festival
Aug. 15–21— The Washington State International Kite Festival will be held on the beach at Long Beach, Washington. The event has been voted the best kite festival in the world by the Kite Trade Association International. Festival-goers can also visit the World Kite Museum in Long Beach, which features 1,500 kites from around the world. For festival information, see www.kitefestival.com.

Bannock County Bluegrass Festival
Aug. 26–28— Ten bluegrass bands from Idaho, Utah, California and Montana will perform at the Bannock County Bluegrass Festival at the Bannock County Fairgrounds in Pocatello, Idaho. There will also be a band contest and free music workshops for the banjo, mandolin and guitar. RV camping will be available at the fairgrounds, with a limited number of electric hookups. There will also be a grassy area for tent camping. Showers will be available on the grounds. Admission tickets for the weekend are $30 per person if purchased by Aug. 1. Children 14 and younger are admitted free when accompanied by an adult. For other ticket prices and information, call (360) 436-1179 or see www.bannockcountybluegrassfestival.com.

Vancouver Wine and Jazz Festival
Aug. 26–28— Jazz, wine and the culinary arts will be celebrated at the eighth annual Vancouver Wine & Jazz Festival at Esther Short Park in downtown Vancouver, Washington. The festival features both international and local jazz artists and wine from dozens of wineries. For information, phone (360) 906-0441 or see www.vancouverwinejazz.com.

Moab Music Festival
Sept. 2 – 17 —Three weekends of concerts ranging from the classical music of Mozart to the soulful songs of Stevie Wonder will be offered at indoor and outdoor settings in and around Moab, Utah. The opening Labor Day weekend will feature the festival’s 2005 composer-in-residence, Aaron Jay Kernis, one of the youngest composers to ever win the Pulitzer Prize. The second weekend will include jazz from the 1920s and ‘30s. Wonder’s music will be performed by singer Darius de Haas and a small pop-soul ensemble on the third weekend. The festival will close at Pack Creek Ranch on the edge of the La Sal Mountains with a performance of Arnold Schoenberg’s Transfigured Night. For information, phone (435) 259-7003 or visit www.moabmusicfest.org.

Tumbleweed Music Festival
Sept. 3–4 — The ninth annual Tumbleweed Music Festival and Songwriting Contest will offer two full days of music, storytelling and dance at Howard Amon Park in Richland, Washington. More than 100 acts are expected to perform in a variety of genres, including traditional and contemporary folk, blues, bluegrass, classical, jazz, gospel, and country-western. There will also be dance lessons and free music workshops. For information, contact the Three Rivers Folklife Society at (509) 528-2215 or see www.3rfs.org.

Blackberry Festival
Sept. 3–4 — The 16th annual Bremerton Blackberry Festival will take over the waterfront in Bremerton, Washington, with music, a car show, food booths, a beer garden and family entertainment. On the Bremerton boardwalk, you will find blackberry jams, jellies, pies and cobblers. The beer garden will serve blackberry cider and blackberry wine. A fly-in at Bremerton National Airport will offer free plane rides to youngsters and present awards to planes in antique, homebuilt, warbird and classic categories. For information, call (360) 377-3041 or see www.blackberryfestival.org.

Mukilteo Lighthouse Festival
Sept. 9–11— A parade, art show, entertainment, food booths and fireworks will be among the attractions at the 40th annual Mukilteo Lighthouse Festival, which is held annually at the Rosehill Community Center in Mukilteo, Washington. For information, call (425) 353-5516 or see www.mukilteofestival.org.

Chokecherry Festival
Sept. 10 —The chokecherry, a tart, maroon-colored fruit that grows wild in Montana, is honored in Lewistown, Montana, every year with events that include a Chokecherry pit-spitting contest and a culinary battle of chokecherry recipes. Events begin with a Kiwanis Club breakfast at 7 a.m., and include 10K, 5K and one-mile runs, a farmer’s market, arts and crafts exhibits and free entertainment. For information, call the Lewistown Area Chamber of Commerce at (406) 538-5436 or see www.lewistownchamber.com.

Oregon Covered Bridge Festival
Sept. 17–18— The Covered Bridge Society of Oregon will present a celebration of the state’s covered bridges at Pioneer Park, Seventh and Marion in Staton, southeast of Salem, Oregon. The festival will run from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. It will be an opportunity to learn about Oregon’s 51 covered bridges. For information, see www.covered-bridges.org