Sandpoint SummerFest: Thanks for all the memories

By McCalee Cain
Reader Staff Writer

For over two decades, the Sandpoint Summerfest has been an intimate celebration of community and culture. This year marks the festival’s last, and the nostalgic end of a local tradition.

“Twenty-two years — there’s barely a festival in the whole West that’s as old as that. There’s a few, but there’s not many that are that old,” Eureka Institute Board President and SummerFest Principal Organizer John Edwards said. “So it’s a little bit sad to not have it keep going.”

Despite this sadness, one thing is certain: The SummerFest will be going out with a bang.

“It’s like going to a really good concert or house party, but in the woods with all of your best friends. And if you don’t know everybody, soon you will, and you’ll feel like it’s your family,” Edwards said.

Intimate indeed, the festival hosts only 400 people. This closely-knit environment provides the perfect place to enjoy nature and culture.

“SummerFest has a lot of advantages over a big festival with thousands of people, where it’s harder to connect,” Edwards said. “Here, you’ll meet your neighbors, and you’ll pretty much meet half the crowd!”

After two decades, the festival will celebrate music, art, and community for the last time, tentatively.

“SummerFest takes an incredible amount of energy, and it just hasn’t made very much money. It’s been somewhat of a break-even event. If we want it to become a real fundraiser, we’ve got to look at reorganizing it and maybe changing some things,” Edwards said. “If this year’s super successful, maybe it will continue. It’s hard to know.”

SummerFest benefits the Eureka Institute’s Construction Basics Initiative Program, which helps to “provide underserved and at-risk students with the necessary life skill set and confidence in their ability to become a valued and productive part of society,” according to the program’s website.

This year’s lineup will feature a multitude of up-and-coming groups representing a wide array of genres, from funk to bluegrass. Edwards highlighted Ginstrings, an Americana Bluegrass band and winners of the Northwest String Summit Band Competition, and the Talbot Brothers, a recognized duo out of the Portland area known for their phenomenal harmonies. Groups from throughout the country will perform back-to-back throughout the festival on the two stages at the venue.

“Basically, once the music starts, it goes nonstop into the wee hours of the morning,” Edwards said.

Star-studded musical lineup aside, Edwards emphasized the additional artistic displays and activities offered. The Gypsy Divas dancing troupe is also slated to grace the stage with a new performance.

“Saturday night is a really cool thing because besides the music, there’s art performance as well, so it’s quite a show,” Edwards said.

And the music and arts won’t stop there — Edwards described the late night campfire performances as a remarkable aspect of the festival.

“We have national talent that will be playing. That can be some of the coolest music, if you can stay up that late,” Edwards said with a laugh.

After two decades as principal organizer of the festival, Edwards looks forward to the unique festival one last time.

“It’s been an honor to put this on for so many years,” Edwards said. “It’s really about everybody bringing their energy out. And hula hooping. Lots of hula hooping.”

The last SummerFest will be July 7-9, 2017. Tickets are available for purchase at Eichardt’s, Misty Mountain Furniture, and online at eureka-institute.org/