By The Festival at Sandpoint Team Reader Contributors
To our community,
As we get ready to welcome you back to War Memorial Field this summer, we wanted to take a moment to share what we’ve been working on and where The Festival at Sandpoint is today.
The Festival, like our region, has grown significantly over the years, and we’re proud that people travel from around the country to experience it. But first and foremost, it remains a local event for locals.
We know some of the recent shifts haven’t felt that way to many of you. While most have been driven by evolving legal and safety requirements, many could have been handled more transparently.
When something becomes deeply connected to a community’s identity, change is felt deeply. Over the past year, we’ve spent a lot of time listening — through town halls, surveys and individual conversations. Thank you to each of you who shared your experience and feedback. We’ve heard you, and while we don’t have all the answers just yet, we want to take a moment to show you some initial steps we’ve taken towards positive change.
Photo by Racheal Baker
First, we’ve implemented a new shared leadership model that has created a more collaborative and intentional approach to decision-making, helping ensure the Festival’s future is guided with greater care and transparency for years to come. (Two of us are Sandpoint-born and raised!)
Secondly, our board has expanded to 13, with seven new members in the past year. Each one is a passionate, local leader who brings a deep appreciation for both the Festival’s legacy and its role in the community.
To keep this event feeling authentically “us,” we have created new opportunities to highlight local partners, such as featuring local nonprofit booths at the series, continuing partnerships and support for community organizations and collaborating with entities that share our goals for our educational programs.
We’ve added more bar locations to reduce lines, with draft pours exclusive to local breweries. Our drink prices are significantly lower than most concert and sporting venues. You’ll also notice other logistical changes that improve the event experience.
It’s a start.
Music brings people together, and our mission is to make music more accessible throughout the region. The Festival at Sandpoint is one of the ways we do that. We are a nonprofit organization with year-round educational programs, partnerships, instrument access, scholarships and support for emerging musicians.
Thank you to every person who has attended a concert, volunteered, supported the organization, performed on stage, partnered with us, provided feedback or shared what the Festival means to you.
We look forward to sharing more about our future. If you aren’t already on our email list, you can subscribe at festivalatsandpoint.com
Sincerely,
Caroline Hawkins, director of Community and Strategy; Tess Howell, director of Finance and Human Resources; Veronica Knowlton, director of Operations and Programs; and the Festival Board of Directors.
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Sandpoint in Pictures
Filmmaker Jimmy Matlosz of the Idaho Film Company has made a series of mini documentaries about influential Sandpoint locals, including the late Dann Hall and Erik Daarstad as well as icons Diane Michaels and Dan Shook. He is currently working on a series of interviews connected to the history of the Panida Theater. Jimmy is a 30-year veteran filmmaker who's work can be seen at dpmatlosz.com.
Meet the Reader
Ever wonder who makes the Reader happen? Here's a behind-the-scenes look pieced together by summer 2017 intern McCalee Cain in which Ben, Cameron and Lyndsie explain what exactly about the Reader keeps them coming back to their shabby (but well-loved) office each week.
