QUILCENE — Kalan Wolfe and Keely Crow-Ka, of “The Shift,” have called on performers from across the country to join them at Departure Festival in Quilcene the weekend of Sept. 22-24.
Tickets, which are limited to 1,200, are available now at https://kalan wolfeandtheshift.com/departurefestnw.
Kalan Wolfe and Keely Crow-Ka, founders of Departure Fest Northwest, are gearing up for their third annual event taking place at the Lake Leland Amphitheater at 260 Munn Road in Quilcene.
This year’s lineup includes an array of musical acts ranging from folk, hip-hop, funk, rock, bluegrass and reggae, tied together by a common message of social justice and environmental awareness, organizers said.
“We book bands that inspire us personally, acts that walk the walk, and use their art as a platform for positive change in our world,” said Crow-Ka in a press release.
“Departure Festival is founded on inclusivity. We strive to build a broader sense of community at our all-ages event. We are also working to minimize single-use plastics and emphasize stewardship of the land.”
Wolfe agreed.
“We want to send the message that we are all in this together,” he said.
“We are a diverse group of people with many different cultures and backgrounds, but when we come together through music, something magical happens.”
Organizers also seek donations for the Chemakum Longhouse Project of Jefferson County.
”There has been a false narrative that the Chemakum people were extinct,” organizers say on the website at https://kalan wolfeandtheshift.com/departurefestival. “While a large number of Chemakum people were killed in the 1857 massacre, there were many who survived by fleeing. Those who survived are the ancestors of the Chemakum people of today. We feel that it is important to honor the indigenous people of our community by supporting this project.
“Because we now know better, it is our responsibility to do better. As a community, we can show our support of the Chemakum people by donating financially, changing false narratives and keeping the conversation going.”
Wolfe and Crow-Ka perform in their multigenerational family band, The Shift. When COVID hit, their small business and those of their friends toppled overnight.
“By the summer of 2021, we were ready to find ways to gather safely in an outdoor setting, that not only gives artists a means of getting back to their craft, but also creates something that gives back to the community that has supported us through these hard times,” Wolfe said.
The two plan in the future to purchase their own land in Jefferson County for the event, allowing room for more attendees and expanding to a four-day festival.
“The goal is to have enough attendees that we can keep ticket prices accessible to all who wish to attend. We also hope to create space for other community events, and eventually make room for an artist residency program which allows artists to be supported financially while they do what they do best,” Crow-Ka said.
