It was only a matter of time: Central Oregon is growing in population every day, and with that has come a cadre of music lovers from other parts, looking for more in entertainment than one-off concerts. Music fans will get a full-meal deal this weekend: Days upon days of some of the best musicians out there, set up on three stages on the campus of the Deschutes County Fair & Expo Center... and oh, and there's camping.
The inaugural FairWell Festival happens July 21-23, and with this lineup, it's sure to be one for the record books. Put on by C3 Presents, majority-owned by Live Nation, FairWell brings the smooth music machine of the world's largest entertainment company to an overnight, all-out fest in Central Oregon. Beyond the fair itself, it's arguably the biggest music event to hit Central Oregon, perhaps ever.
"I think it's going to be a fantastic experience," said Geoff Hinds, executive director of the Deschutes County Fair & Expo Center. "We've got a great partner, C3, who does these events not just nationally but across the entire world, and so they know what they're doing and they're invested in making sure the experiences are great for all of their festival attendees. It's the group that's behind Lollapalooza and Bonnaroo and Austin City Limits and all these other festivals that people have heard of and maybe have had the chance to go to, and they're bringing that right here to our backyard."
While it's still the first year of what promises to be the biggest music festival in Central Oregon, Hinds estimated that the economic impact to the region for the three-day event is in the range of $20 to $30 million.
"You're talking about an event that is going to bring 75,000 or 80,000 visitors to the region, over the three days," Hinds told the Source Weekly. "That [economic impact] number is massive when you start to add those."
With the addition of Live Nation shows at the Hayden Homes Amphitheater, and now the advent of FairWell Festival, it's clear that the secret is out on the charms of Central Oregon.
"From our perspective, they figured out what we all know — why everybody lives here," Hinds said. "It's an amazing place to live, work and play."
In total, 36 performances are scheduled over the three days. Among the musicians playing at the fest: Willie Nelson, Mt. Joy, Sheryl Crow, Zach Bryan, Band of Horses, Gary Clark Jr,. Trampled By Turtles, Nathaniel Rateliff and so many more.
Continue for some interviews with musicians playing FairWell Festival this weekend.
