Classic rock festival returns to Lake Leland

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Classic rock, classic cars, and a classic generation.

This is why they call it Classic Moonfest.

For more than a decade, Jim Munn and Sheryl Wolover have hosted classic Moonfest at their beautiful Lake Leland amphitheater near Quilcene.

Beginning Friday, Aug. 12 will be a night of fire dancing and fiddling. The Daring Greatly Band start the night off with their blend of Canadian rock n’ roll with U.S. folk and Americana traditions from the 1960s and 70s. Then, the Feral Fire Dancers will heat things up with the goodness and grace of their great balls of fire. Capping off the evening is Geoffrey Castle on his electric six-string violin.

“Anything that can be done with an electric guitar, he does with the violin,” Wolover said of the performer.

“He takes up the stage,” she said.

And he’ll have quite a stage to take up because they’ve called in True Tone Audio from Bellingham to set the stage with not only astounding sound, but a whole rig of moving lights worthy of rockstar status.

Attendees are encouraged to camp out at the site to stay for the full two days. The 50-acre plot just off of Jefferson County’s largest lake is a sight to behold, and as it’s on private property this is pretty much the only way to do so.

Once the campers have awoken and are ready to rock, the festival revs up with a classic car show starting at 1 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 13 and continues until 4:30 p.m. while the music plays.

Arts, crafts, and food vendors will also be on site both days to ply the crowds with their wares while the music wails.

A full 10 hours of classic rock kicks off at 1:30 p.m. Saturday and goes until almost midnight. Some will play covers, others originals, and some a bit of both.

Shawn James is one of Wolover’s favorites with his cover of Chris Cornell’s “Like a Stone.”

“His voice is just beautiful, almost kind of haunting,” Wolover said.

The last performance of the night, Whiskey River, will be bringing an entirely new vibe to the event with the southern rock stylings of Lynyrd Skynyrd.

For almost four decades, Whiskey River has thrilled audiences all over America by re-creating the image and the music of the southern rock band. Whiskey River not only plays Lynyrd Skynyrd, they personify the group onstage. Through their serious and tireless commitment to the original Ronnie Van Zandt-era Lynyrd Skynyrd, they have deconstructed and reconstructed every detail of every part of every song from the original bands recordings.

“It’s going to be a powerhouse of sound,” Wolover said, adding that she’s “waiting for Freebird.”

Friday tickets are $30 and Saturday is $80, while two-day passes are $100. To purchase, go to classicmoonfest.com.