(Photo | Courtesy of Sisters Folk Festival)
The Sisters Folk Festival (SFF) is moving from the second weekend in September to the first weekend of October each year, beginning in 2021.
The new dates for SFF will be October 1-3, 2021. The board and staff of SFF made this decision based on a history forest fire and smoke issues in the Western U.S. and Central Oregon during the month of September. As you’re probably aware, we’ve had two cancelled events over the festival weekend since 2017. We are cautiously optimistic that we can produce a festival in 2021, but will make a firm decision and announce ticket sales in the coming months as the vaccine rollout progresses. In the meantime — SAVE THE DATE!
SFF’s creative team has secured 16 of the acts originally contracted for 2020 lineup including Ron Artis II & the Messengers, Darrell Scott, Mary Gauthier, Judith Hill, Willy Porter, Emily Scott Robinson, Thunderstorm Artis, AJ Lee & Blue Summit, Changui Majadero, O’Connor Lee Band, Rainbow Girls, Ordinary Elephant, Max Gomez, Alisa Amador, Robby Hecht and Beth Wood so far. With the future of international travel being uncertain at this time, the six international artists contracted in 2020 will most likely be moved to October 2022.
We are hopeful this date change will put SFF outside of the wildfire/smoke season, all the while being cautiously optimistic that having a festival will be possible this year amid COVID-19 concerns.
It’s too soon for SFF to determine what safety protocols would be in place for a 2021 festival, or whether we’ll even be able to have one, but at this time we are forging ahead in hopes of bringing live music to Sisters, Oregon in the safest way we can muster. Our vision is that the festival itself will have a similar layout and vibe with venues throughout town, although some venues may have to be adapted so that we can present the music in a safe and comfortable environment. We are working closely with the City of Sisters and are continuing to monitor all Centers for Disease Control and Oregon Health Authority guidelines around public events.
In future years, we hope to share in a Celebration of the Arts in October in Sisters, with the Sisters Folk Festival, Harvest Faire and the Sisters Festival of Books on consecutive weekends.
We are also working on Close To Home concert weekends for this summer!
SFF is planning to present physically distanced — yet community connected — Close to Home in-person concerts this summer, with a series of outdoor shows at the Sisters Art Works venue, featuring regional and national artists TBD. Please be on the lookout for exciting artist announcements later in the spring!
Did you reserve sites at the Sisters Creekside Campground for the original September 10-12, 2021 festival weekend? Don’t panic! Contact Julie Pieper with the City of Sisters to modify your reservation: 541-549-6022, jpieper@ci.sisters.or.us. She’s expecting to hear from you.
Please check sistersfolkfestival.org for up to the minute information, programming, merch and more, and consider following Sisters Folk Festival on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.