QUILCENE — Overlooking Lake Leland, Moon Fest will present music, education and delicious foods to Quilcene on Friday and Saturday.
The festival grounds will open at 10 a.m. on Friday at 260 Munn Road in Quilcene. Attendees must be 21 or older to attend.
Reservation campsites for the festival have sold out, but field sites are available for $30 to $40 per night. Campsites are for the driver only; additional site guests cost $20 each.
Tickets for Friday are $55, Saturday costs $80 and the two-day event costs $125. Tickets and campsites can be purchased at https://www.tickettomato.com/event_group/538/moon-fest-2025.
Music will start on Friday with Sahara Calling at 5 p.m., Amigos at 7 p.m. and James Howard at 9 p.m.
Sahara Calling is a West African blues band led by Moroccan musician Youssef El Achab.
El Achab will be joined by two other Moroccan musicians as well as local bassist Paul Eyestone, who, for the purposes of the band, is going by the name Akbar Khan, event organizer Sheryl Wolover said.
Sahara Calling will play songs by Ali Farka Touré, Tinariwen, Bombino and others.
Tita Lenei will sell hand-rolled, Philippine-style lumpia eggrolls and sauces on Friday.
Before the music starts on Saturday, several educational opportunities will kick off the day. At 10:30 a.m., Mary Munn will give a presentation on truffle hunting which will include a demonstration with her truffle hunting dog River.
“A lot of people don’t know we have truffles out here, and we have a lot of truffles,” event organizer Sheryl Wolover said.
Jennifer Rotermund of the Port Townsend Psychedelics Society will present at noon.
“(She will be) talking about microdosing for end-of-life anxiety and depression,” Wolover said. “How it can be beneficial. They’ve been here before and it was so well-attended.”
Herpetologist, forager and Brinnon tour guide Jerry Novak will give a presentation on medicinal and edible plants at 1 p.m. He also will guide a plants tour on the property.
Music will start at 2 p.m. Saturday with Locomotive Breath, a Sequim-based Jethro Tull cover band.
John Wessell, the band’s vocalist and flautist, played in the band with Jethro Tull’s original bassist Glenn Cornick for years, Wolover said. They played the songs with the blessing of the Jethro Tull’s band leader, Ian Anderson, she added.
“John is incredibly serious about his music,” Wolover said.
Starting at 4 p.m., flamenco guitarist Andre Feriante will serenade attendees during the dinner hour.
Chef David Olson, Wolover’s son-in-law, will prepare pre-ordered dinners. Ordering already was closed on Wednesday.
Port Hadlock’s A & H Curbside Grill’s food truck will serve food on Saturday.
Beer from Port Townsend Brewery and pre-batched tequila, rum and vodka cocktails will be for sale from Neptunes Stage, a local nonprofit raising money to support the performing arts.
Proceeds from alcohol sales will go toward supporting someone interested in pursuing live production lighting, sound or video, Wolover said. Those interested in learning about receiving support may inquire at ClassicMoonFest@gmail.com.
Curious elixirs will serve non-alcoholic drinks.
At 5:30 p.m., following dinner, funky progressive country band Mars Garden will take the stage.
Port Angeles musicians Kim Trenerry and Jason Mogi of Kim and Jason and Deadwood Revival make up half of the band.
“They have been performing together forever, I mean literally since they were young teenagers,” Wolover said. “They just played at Field Hall and it was a sold-out show on I think it was their big stage.”
Harmony-driven rock band Daring Greatly will take the stage at 7:30 p.m.
“These guys can harmonize,” Wolover said. “Oh my God, they play (the Eagles’ song) ‘Seven Bridges Road’ and you just get goosebumps.”
Belly dance group Shula Azhar will perform at 9:30 p.m. followed by event closers Polly O’Keary and the Rhythm Method at 10 p.m.
“She can belt out the blues, and her guitarist is great. This is a dynamic trio,” Wolover said.
To view a list of vendors, visit https://www.moon-fest.com/vendors.
Heart guitarist Roger Fisher, who originally was scheduled to open the event, is attending to a personal matter, Wolover said.
Wolover said she and her longtime fiance Jim Munn, who also hosts the event, met at the first festival, then called Fullmoon Festival, in 2011.
Wolover said the event persists for artists and people, it’s not about making money.
“We have this land and it’s just set up so beautifully for this, for music events and things,” she said. “We just like to share. We like people to come together, have a good time, listen to music, supporting the musicians.”
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Reporter Elijah Sussman can be reached by email at elijah.sussman@peninsuladailynews.com.
