Festival Season 2022: Even More Events Emerge in Lewis County Area

Winlock Pickersfest, Mossyrock Blueberry Festival Return to Summer Lineup

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While most local festivals were able to return last summer, albeit some in modified versions due to ongoing public health restrictions, a small number, such as Winlock Pickersfest, took a more cautious approach.

Members of the Washington Acoustic Music Association made the decision to forgo both their annual festival as well as their usual monthly slow jams for the last two years.

“It’s kind of like holding your breath for two years,” said WAMA board secretary Jim Bierlein of the wait.

The wait is finally over for fans of the music-centric event, which will return to Winolequa Park in Winlock the weekend of Aug 5-7. It is one of the many community festivals returning this year to Southwest Washington. Vader May Day, which was held on May 7, typically kicks off the jam-packed season, which does not slow down until Onalaska Apple Harvest Festival Sept. 30-Oct. 2.

In addition to Pickersfest, another popular event returning this year is the Mossyrock Blueberry Festival which will be held in addition to a Civil War Reenactment Aug. 6-7 in the East Lewis County community. Last year, the Mossyrock Festivals Association held Freedom Fest during the July 4 weekend instead of Blueberry Festival but vowed to bring the blueberries back this year. They will also continue to hold the Mossyrock Freedom Festival, which is slated for July 2-3.

Started in 2000, Winlock Pickersfest is part music festival, part workshop and part jam session gathering for musicians from across the region. Though many of the attendees are WAMA members, Bierlein was quick to point out that anyone can come camp for the weekend or buy a ticket for a day. He said Saturday is usually the day with the most visitors and the most going on but that each day features a myriad of entertainment both scheduled and unscheduled.

“You’ll see everything from bands playing to people jamming together at their campsite to people by themselves playing under the shade of a tree,” Bierlein said. “There’s something for everybody and if there isn’t, everybody is free to create it.”

Those who are musically inclined are welcome to bring their instruments and most groups are very welcoming of anyone who wants to join in, Bierlein said. The main stage will also offer a lineup of live music representing a variety of acoustical styles. Organizers were able to reschedule every band originally planned to perform at the canceled 2020 and 2021 events into this year’s lineup. Some of the groups that will perform at this year’s Pickersfest include: Pearl Django; Choroloco; String Theory; Sunny South; and The Portland Radio Ponies.

WAMA also recently held its first monthly slow jam in two years and Bierlein, who plays guitar, said they had a hearty turnout, with many folks who were eager to play together again after so long apart. He noted that while regulations such as mask mandates have been lifted, they are cognizant that some people are still being cautious about COVID-19 and they ask visitors to be respectful of differences in tolerance to crowds.

“I noticed some people (at the slow jam) still kept their distance from others,” Bierlein said. “At Pickersfest, since it’s such a large park we should not have any trouble with that at all.”

2022 Southwest Washington Community Festivals

• May 27-30 – Packwood Spring Flea Market

Packwoodfleamarket.com or @packwoodfleamarket on Facebook

• June 18 - Rochester Swede Day

Rochestercitizensgroupswedehall.net or Rochester Citizens Group on Facebook

• June 18 – Winlock Egg Days

Winlockeggdays.com or Winlock Egg Days on Facebook

• June 25 – Ride the Willapa

Ridethewillapa.com or @ridethewillapa on Facebook

• July 2-3 – Mossyrock Freedom Festival

Mossyrockfestivals.org or Mossyrock Blueberry Festival on Facebook

• July 1-3 - Francis Schwingfest

Lpss.info or Lewis-Pacific Swiss Society on Facebook

• July 2 – Oakville Independence Day & Scoot the Route Car Show

Oakvillecityhall.com or Oakville WA Chamber of Commerce on Facebook

• July 4 – Centralia Summerfest

Cityofcentralia.com or @CityofCentraliaWA on Facebook

• July 7-10 – Toledo Cheese Days

Toledolionsclub.org/cheesedays.html or Cheese Days Toledo Washington on Facebook

• July 8-10 – Lavender Celebration Weekend at Cowlitz Falls Lavender Company, Randle

Cowlitzfallslavender.com/events or @Cowlitzfallslavender on Facebook

• July 15-16 – Tenino Music Festival

@RESUTEKCF on Facebook

• July 16 – Napavine Funtime Festival

Napavine Funtime Festival on Facebook

• July 22-24 – Tenino Oregon Trail Days

Teninoacc.org/Oregon-trail-days-otd.html or @oregontraildaystenino on Facebook

• July 30 – ChehalisFest

ChehalisFest on Facebook

• Aug. 5-7 – Winlock Pickersfest

Winlockpickersfest.com, WAMAmusic.com or Washington Acoustic Music Association on Facebook

• Aug. 5-7 - Antique Fest Centralia

Antique Fest on Facebook

• Aug. 6-7 – Mossyrock Blueberry Festival and Civil War Reenactment

Mossyrockfestivals.org or Mossyrock Blueberry Festival on Facebook

• Aug. 11-14 – Morton Loggers Jubilee

Loggersjubilee.com or @mortonloggersjubilee on Facebook

• Aug. 12-14 – Mount St. Helens Bluegrass Festival, Toledo

Washingtonbluegrassassociation.org or WBA- Washington Bluegrass Association on Facebook

• Aug. 16-21 – Southwest Washington Fair

Southwestwashingtonfair.org or @southwestwashingtonfair on Facebook

• Aug. 26-28 - Washington State Garlic Festival

Wagarlicfest.com or @WashingtonStateGarlicFest on Facebook

• Sept. 2-5 – Packwood Fall Flea Market

Packwoodfleamarket.com or @packwoodfleamarket on Facebook

• Sept. 4 – Rust or Shine Car Show & Music Festival at Veterans Memorial Museum

Veteransmuseum.org or Veterans Memorial Museum on Facebook or Instagram

• Sept. 10-11 – Spirit of ‘76 Revolutionary Encampment at Veterans Memorial Museum

Veteransmuseum.org or Veterans Memorial Museum on Facebook or Instagram

• Sept. 17-18 and Sept. 24-25 - ARTrails of Southwest Washington Studio Tour

Artrailsofsww.org or @ARTrailsofSWWashington on Facebook

• Sept. 30-Oct. 2 – Onalaska Apple Harvest Festival

Onalaskaalliance.org/apple-harvest-festival.html or Onalaska Apple Harvest Festival on Facebook