Music, culture and dance take the stage at state parks this summer

OLYMPIA – From Bagpipes for Beginners to West African dance, Washington State Parks' Folk and Traditional Arts Program has an exciting lineup of concerts and festivals coming this summer.

Concerts

The annual concert series – at Cape Disappointment, Lake Wenatchee, Lincoln Rock and Deception Pass – feature local artists performing a variety of music and dance, including Bluegrass, folk, Americana, Klezmer, Latino, African and Celtic traditions.

The American Roots series at Deception Pass is honoring its 20^th season. To help State Parks celebrate, the agency is excited to welcome back to the stage Queen’s Bluegrass and the Shifty Sailors. These two musical groups first performed at the park’s inaugural concert season in 2006.

The concert schedule is as follows:

Cape Disappointment Waikiki Beach Concerts (Second and fourth Saturdays, 7 p.m.)

• July 11 - Duo Takinai
• July 25 - No Soap, Radio
• Aug. 8 - Awal Alhassan & Sohoyini Dance
• Aug. 22 - The Horsenecks

Lake Wenatchee Mountain Melodies Concerts (South Park Amphitheater, first and third Saturdays, 8 p.m.)

• July 4 - The Welter Brothers
• July 25 - Angel Gadzhev Folk Band
• Aug. 8 - Eclectic Cloggers
• Aug. 22 - Mount Vernon Mariachi & Folklórico

Lincoln Rock Rhythm on the River Concerts (Catherine Secor Memorial Amphitheater, select Fridays, 7 p.m.)

• July 3 - The Welter Brothers
• July 24 - Angel Gadzhev Folk Band
• Aug. 7 - Acoustic Crisis
• Aug. 21 - Darnell Scott

Deception Pass American Roots Concerts (Amphitheater, Saturdays, 7 p.m.)

• July 11 - Shifty Sailors
• July 18 - Finlay MacDonald Duo
• July 25 - SurLlajta
• Aug. 1 - Angel Gadzhev Folk Band
• Aug. 8 - Boka Kouyaté & the Djeliyah Band
• Aug. 15 - Queen's Bluegrass
• Aug. 22 - Dream Goats
• Aug. 29 - Duende Libre

Festivals

Every year, community groups gather in state parks to share their cultural traditions – food, music, dance, art, fashion and ceremony. The public is invited to join in these cultural celebrations to come together in learning and community. 

The schedule of cultural festivals is as follows:

• June 6, noon to 4 p.m. – Salish Sea Day – Deception Pass State Park
  • Join the Samish and Swinomish Canoe Families for an afternoon of Coast Salish culture, weaving, salmon, free canoe rides and more. This is a Discover Pass-free day.
• June 7, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. – Canoe Families – Millersylvania State Park
  • Join the Chehalis Canoe Journeys, Nisqually Canoe Family, Puyallup Canoe Family and Skokomish River Road Canoe Family in learning about the rich cultural heritage of the Tribes, including free canoe rides. This is a Discover Pass-free day.
• June 28, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. – Skandia Midsommarfest – Saint Edward State Park
  • Raise the maypole, dance and enjoy music, food, flower crown making and games of Northern Europe with Skandia Folk Dance Society.
• Aug. 22, noon to 5 p.m. – Cambodian Cultural Celebration – Saltwater State Park
  • Enjoy Khmer music, food, dance, martial arts, games and regalia, hosted by Cambodian Folk and Classical Dance Northwest.

Check for updates at the FTAP Calendar of Events.

All FTAP events are family-friendly, free and open to the public with a Discover Pass for parking. Food is often available for purchase during the festivals.

This year, the concert series had several funders, including the Deception Pass Park Foundation, Friends of the Columbia River Gateway, Island County, Celtic Arts Foundation, Early Music Seattle, Washington State Parks Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, ArtsWA, Dwayne Lane’s Skagit Subaru and KOHO 101.1 Northwest Public Broadcasting.

Additionally, the Washington State Parks Specialty License Plate Fund is a major source of support for FTAP programming and events. When the time comes to renew tabs or buy a new car, you can purchase a State Parks license plate to support music, dance and culture in our state parks.