State Parks Folk and Traditional Arts summer programs begin

OLYMPIA – Washington State Parks’ Folk and Traditional Arts Program (FTAP) announces its lineup of concerts and festivals this spring and summer, including the popular Waikiki Beach concerts at Cape Disappointment and the longstanding American Roots concerts at Deception Pass.

In addition, a unique partnership between FTAP and Trío Guadalevín produced a suite of songs with music videos highlighting historic and contemporary Latino/Hispanic contributions in the Pacific Northwest.

Trío Guadalevín is a renowned group of musicians, educators, storytellers and cultural artists based in Tacoma and Seattle. Their three-song cycle covers historical eras from the early Spanish maritime explorers and their Mestizo crews to agricultural guest worker programs, to current-day lives and occupations. The Trio’s work showcases the origins of Latine culture and music, which stretch across time and space to Spain, the Middle East, Africa, the Caribbean and the Indigenous Americas.

The project, made possible by a 2023 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), used state parks as one backdrop for the videos. The project also includes live performances at the concert series and a standalone concert at Yakima Sportsman State Park to kick off the season this Sunday.

State Parks’ FTAP summer lineup:

• Yakima Sportsman standalone concert
  • May 18, 2 – 5 p.m. Trío Guadalevín – Latino music and storytelling, with roots in Africa, the Middle East and Indigenous Americas. The Trío will be joined by La Cantina and La Familia Hunter.

• Cape Disappointment Waikiki Beach concerts, Saturday evenings, 7 – 8:30 p.m.
  • June 14 – Fog Holler – Bluegrass with an edge
  • June 28 – ShiDaa – Ghanian drumming and dance workshop
  • July 12 – Brownsmead Flats – Crabgrass, a combination of bluegrass and seafarer music
  • July 26 – Bruce Thomas Smith – Folk and Texas blues
  • Aug. 9 – Trío Guadalevín – Latino music and storytelling, with roots in Africa, the Middle East and Indigenous Americas
  • Aug. 23 – Tora’dan – A blend of rock, Sufi and Middle Eastern music

• Deception Pass American Roots concerts, Saturday evenings 7 – 8 p.m.
  • July 12 – ShiDaa - Ghanian drumming and dance workshop, the origin of jazz
  • July 19 – SeaNotes Big Band – Big band jazz
  • July 26 – Lady A Gospel Choir – Full gospel choir
  • Aug. 2 – Trío Guadalevín – Latino music and storytelling, with roots in Africa, the Middle East and Indigenous Americas
  • Aug. 9 – Les Coeurs Criminels – Cajun dance tunes and moves
  • Aug. 16 – Dunton Sisters – Traditional music with gospel roots
  • Aug. 23 – Schmidt & Guest – Jigs, airs and waltzes with Scottish and Irish roots.

The cultural festival schedule is as follows:

• Salish Sea Day - June 7, noon to 4 p.m., Bowman Bay, Deception Pass State Park
  • A day with the Samish and Swinomish Canoe Families celebrating the Salish Sea and Indigenous cultures.
• Sundaes Outside, June 22, 1 – 5 p.m., Bridle Trails State Park
  • A celebration of Black folks, including local businesses, organizations and individual contributions. Come see the Buffalo Soldiers of Seattle, who will be there offering horseback rides and historical education. Register here.

The American Roots and Waikiki Beach concerts were made possible by contributions from the Deception Pass State Park Foundation and Friends of the Columbia River Gateway, respectively.

Concerts and festivals are generally free and open to the public, though a Discover Pass is required for parking. Food is sometimes available for purchase, or for free with advance registration.