By Laurelle Walsh
“We’re done burning, man!” is the motto of the Phoenix Festival, a creative arts festival and benefit for fire and flood relief that rises from the ashes at TwispWorks on Saturday (Oct. 18) from 2-10 p.m.
TwispWorks, Methow Arts Alliance and Confluence Gallery & Art Center have joined forces to create the event, which brings together local and visiting musicians, visual and literary artists, and food and art vendors.
Proceeds from the event go to the Methow Valley Long Term Recovery organization to benefit individuals and businesses affected by last summer’s fires and floods.
Tickets are $20 for adults, and by donation for kids 15 and under.
Tickets may be purchased online at www.brownpapertickets.com/event/866154. Scholarship tickets may also be purchased at that website to sponsor locals who are unable to pay to attend the festival, and donations to Methow Valley Long Term Recovery may also be made there.
Tickets are also available at Twisp Daily Business, Riverside Printing in Winthrop, the Carlton Store and TwispWorks.
Admission is free to clients of Room One and The Cove, and to those who call TwispWorks – 997-3300 – to request assistance.
Performances on the main stage begin with local band Wild Mountain Nation at 2 p.m., followed by the Methow Valley Community School kids at 2:30. Reggae by the Family Vibe hits the stage at 2:50 p.m., followed by Roger and Me (the Westendorf sibling duo) playing eclectic folk music at 3:15 p.m.
Thione Diop and Yeke Yeke play the traditional rhythms of Africa at 4:05 p.m., followed by the Caribbean steel drum band Bakra Bata at 5 p.m.
Kore Ionz play their Hawaii-infused reggae, soul and pop starting at 5:45 p.m., and The Dusty 45s take the stage one hour later swinging with rockabilly and jump blues.
Luc and the Lovingtons play their original blend of world music at 8:15 p.m., joined on stage by fire dancer Christina Stout. The festivities go into house mode with a dance party starting at 9:15 p.m. led by DJs Travis Smith, Eors Markos, and the psychedelic trip-rock duo The Spider Ferns.
All of the musical performances are family-friendly, according to festival organizers.
Colorful banners depicting the landscapes of the Methow Valley will wave above the festival grounds, hand-painted by Methow Valley Elementary School fourth graders under the tutelage of Winthrop artist Deirdre Cassidy.
Kids’ activities, from 2 to 6 p.m., include the paintball catapult, the wall of gratitude honoring emergency responders, and yard games on the grass.
The Spartan Art Project will show videos made during the fires and floods, as well as short films made at Wild Minds Film Camp.
The beer garden, featuring Methow Valley-made brews, opens at 2 p.m., and food vendors will feature locally made products.
Volunteers are needed before, during and after the event. They will receive free admission, drinks and snacks, and a Phoenix Festival T-shirt. To volunteer contact Alison or Nancy at TwispWorks, info@twispworks.org.
For more information go to twispworks.org or call 997-3300.
