It’s not officially summer yet, but Memorial Day is in the rearview mirror, so bring on the summer festivals. Have some fun in the sun (hopefully), and if there’s a bit of stormy weather, find some inside stuff to do.
May 31-June 3
The fifth Valley Bluegrass Festival begins May 31 at the Clearwater County Fairgrounds along the Clearwater River at Orofino and continues through Sunday.
Eight musical acts will play June 1 and 2 for the festival, including Wanigan, Panhandle Polecats, Kevin Pace and the Early Edition, Higher Ground, Flat Grass, Fancee That, Beargrass and the Montana Ramblers.
The May 31 schedule includes a covered-dish meal for campers and jam session while performances by the featured bands are June 1 and 2. June 1 also features open mic and jam sessions while June 2 includes jams and workshops. The festival concludes June 3 with a gospel singalong and jam sessions.
Organizers suggest attendees bring lawn chairs. Coolers are welcome, but alcohol is prohibited. Food and beverages will be available for purchase.
Cost is $15 for the weekend, and $10 each for June 1 and 2.
June 1
A Seattle historian will talk about the Beatles and perfect timing at 7 p.m. June 1 at the Asotin County Library Annex in Clarkston.
Lance Rhoades, a cultural and media historian, will give a presentation titled “Beatlemania! Beatlemedia! How Talent, Timing and Technology Created the World’s Biggest Musical Sensation.” Rhoades will discuss how the band’s drive, their strong management and ingenious production, and the arrival of new media aligned to form the Beatles into the biggest entertainment phenomenon in history, according to a news release.
Rhoades teaches in the Department of Comparative Literature, and in the Cinema Studies, Comparative History of Ideas and American Indian Studies programs, at the University of Washington in Seattle. He regularly lectures on the history of literature and film.
The library is at 407 Sycamore St.
June 1
The Will West Groove Trio will play high-octane tunes beginning at 9:30 p.m. June 1 at John’s Alley in Moscow.
Will West (lead vocals/guitar) and Don Henson (percussion).
West hails from Portland and handles lead vocals as well as guitar and harmonica. Skip vonKuske plays cello and mandolin, while Don Henson plays percussion, vibes and synths.
Admission is $5, and John’s Alley is at 114 E. Sixth St.
June 2
The Snake River Family Festival June 2 will feature free food and entertainment at Boyer Park and Marina along the Snake River in Whitman County.
The event will run from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and feature live music by Sammy Eubanks and river system related displays.
Boyer Park is 20 miles southeast of Pullman at 1753 Lower Granite Road.
June 6
The monthly Riverport Band Jam will be from 6 to 9 p.m. June 6 at Riverport Brewing Company in Clarkston.
The jam session is open to musicians of all ages and abilities with full band equipment provided. Musicians also can bring their own instruments. Organizers stipulate the event is a “band jam” and not an open mic, so there cannot be fewer than three people on stage at any time. Their other rules are be tuned and be on time.
The venue is at 150 Ninth St.
