Photo by Racheal Baker
Each summer we pack up our blankets, chairs and snacks, and grab friends and family to head to War Memorial Field for a long-time local favorite: The Festival at Sandpoint. But did you know that The Festival started with classical roots, offering symphony music to locals and visitors? Started in 1983, the first few years of The Festival featured various conductors and the symphony, with an occasional soloist. Jazz was introduced in 1986, and by 1992 headliners like Emmy Lou Harris took the stage, and Johnny Cash and June Carter the following year.
Over the years The Festival has hosted a variety of famous names to its outdoor stage, like Willie Nelson, Dierks Bentley, Ryan Adams, Etta James, Marshall Tucker Band, ZZ Top, and in 1995 and returning this year, the Beach Boys. But despite its musical evolution, The Festival has stayed true to its roots and culminates with the Spokane Symphony as its finale every year—this one included.
