Once known as the Palouse Bluegrass Festival, the Palouse Music Festival now encompasses all types of music and begins early Saturday.
Artists include Sesitshaya Marimba ensemble, Jens Hegg, Bart Budwig & Friend, Forgotten Freight, Dan Maher, Wanigan, The Senders and the group called Tiana, Christopher, Emmy Lou and Paul.
“Bart Budwig is a songwriter between folk and acoustic indie pop,” said Palouse Music Festival coordinator Paul Smith, who is a fiddle player for Tiana, Christopher, Emmy Lou and Paul.
Other artists range from bluegrass to folk and from blues to classic rock and roll.
Budwig has been a soundman for the Palouse Music Festival for three years, too. He played trumpet growing up, always did well on his poetry assignments in high school and began playing guitar at 18.
After the death of two people near to his heart, Budwig turned songwriting into an emotional outlet.
Now 28, Budwig released his first solo album last October.
“That’s a long time to be playing guitar and writing, but it took me that long to have a cohesive sound,” Budwig said. “It’s kind of an old country kind of album. It’s funny, because I always thought that was the last thing I’d ever do, and it ended up being in that genre.”
Budwig compares himself to a mix between Neil Young and Johnny Cash. His sound is a little bit of Josh Ritter and a lot of Sera Cahone, he said.
His Americana and country release “Whisky Girl” is on vinyl, as well.
For the festival, Budwig will be accompanied by upright bassist John Nuhn.
Beyond music, the Palouse Music Festival features food and vendors. Palouse Chamber’s Debbie Goetz said the Palouse Community Center will serve brats and chips, the Lions Club will serve hamburgers and pop, a kettle corn vendor will be on site, and so will a salad and fruit vendor. Paradise Creek Brewery will serve their brews inside a beer garden.
Goetz said other vendors include photographers, woodworkers, lotion makers and more.
“It’s just an awesome day in the park and Palouse is the place to be,” Goetz said. For those who can’t stay for the music, but want to see the vendors, admission is free from 8:30-10:30 a.m. When the music starts at 11 a.m., admission is $10 for adults, $5 for ages 6-15 and free for children under 6.
Wristbands can be purchased at the Hayton Greene Park gate, which allow purchasers to come and go as they want.
“If you go south to the Valley and north to Spokane, there is tons of good music and so that was the idea,” Smith said, “that we could set up a music festival that brought in people that are local of any kind of music.”
Treffry can be contacted at (208) 883-4640 or ltreffry@inland360.com. Follow her on Twitter at: @LindseyTreffry.
-> if you go: WHAT: Palouse Music Festival WHEN: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday WHERE: Hayton Green Park, Palouse, Wash. COST: $10 for adults, $5 for ages 6-15 and free for children under 6. Admission is free at 8-10:30 a.m. to view vendors.
