Few things are more valuable than music for Quilcene community members Keely Crow-Ka and Kalan Wolfe.

After COVID took away the two’s ability to perform with their band, The Shift, to live audiences across the continent, Wolfe and Crow-Ka had a lot of time for introspection.

Coming out of the dark times of the pandemic, the couple found inspiration through writing music. The Shift’s latest album, “Departure,” was created from that darkness, and left Crow-Ka and Wolfe with a deep desire to support other artists whom they admired in a communal environment, where people can gather as restrictions ease.

One thing led to another, and the couple took a chance with the first-ever Departure Fest Northwest in 2021 and found resounding success.

Now, the two are bringing Departure Fest back home to Quilcene this year.

“We’re trying to do our little bit here in our hometown of Quilcene and bring people together through music,” Crow-Ka said.

“It just makes so much sense to [host Departure Fest] in our hometown, because this is where our community is … I’ve had roots here since about the age of 11.”

From Aug. 5 to Aug. 7, Departure Fest NW will bring a wide variety of artists and performers to the lush landscape of Quilcene’s Lake Leland Amphitheater, providing a music festival brimming with talent.

From the musical theater production of headliner Wookiefoot to the beat-box, soul-folk sounds of Dustin Thomas to the masterful storytelling of Johnny Moses, Departure Fest will bring entertainment of all sorts.

The Production Alliance nonprofit will assist Crow-Ka and Wolfe in setting the music festival up.

“We’re so stoked to have their backing. I’ve known Danny Milholland (director of operations for the organization) for a very long time,” Crow-Ka said. “To have their backing, it means a lot to us.”

The nonprofit will primarily handle hospitality tasks like taking care of artists and operating the green room.

ETHICAL FESTIVAL

Looking to shift away from the pitfalls of the average music festival, Wolfe and Crow-Ka discussed their goals of curating a space for all to enjoy while encouraging environmental responsibility, equality for artists, and tackling social issues while keeping things light-hearted.

It may sound like a tall order, but the couple learned a lot from the successes of last year’s festival in Ford, Washington.

“There were things that we will be doing better this year, but it was a real success. People were blown away,” Wolfe said of the last festival. “It’ll keep getting better every year as we continue to learn the ropes and get it all worked out.”

Considering Wolfe and Crow-Ka were musicians before ever becoming event organizers, they pay extra mind to taking care of all the performers at the festival.

“I feel like it really gives us an advantage to putting this thing on, being artists. Because we understand how it works,” Crow-Ka said. “We’re trying to really pay artists sufficiently for their work.”

“Our goal is to hopefully break even this year, but the real goal here is to create a community of artists that can have each other’s backs and who are doing what it takes to really bring people together,” Crow-Ka said. “We want to unify and bring up some topics that are maybe controversial in some ways, but bring them to light and shift the focus to some of these environmental and social issues in a way that’s not pushy.”

The environment is a critical consideration for the couple, and they’re aiming to limit the use of plastics and other non-biodegradable products.

“We’re trying to do no plastic, and no styrofoam,” Wolfe said. “It’s an investment in our community; it’s an investment into the earth in general and people’s awareness of those issues.”

One way that Crow-Ka and Wolfe are highlighting social topics at Departure Fest is by giving a platform to multiple Tribal members across the country.

Raye Zaragoza, an Indigenous woman from New York, will perform her songs of empowerment at the music festival.

“She is amazing,” Crow-Ka said. “She has a lot of protest songs about women’s rights, Indigenous rights, and environmental awareness and responsibility, and she’s very very inspiring and just incredibly talented.”

Native storyteller Johnny Moses will share tales for folks of all ages to enjoy and learn from at Departure Fest.

“He uses his storytelling as a way of preserving the [Native] languages. It’s a real honor to have him and also to be able to film him because he needs to be preserved and these stories need to be preserved,” Wolfe said.

GIVING BACK

At the end of the day, Wolfe and Crow-Ka hope to put on a wonderful show for folks while highlighting the Quilcene community.

“What we hope is that this will be a nice economic boost for our community, as well as hiring a lot of fantastic local craft vendors who are going to be able to start coming back out and start vending again. It’s been a long time for a lot of those folks, a long time for a lot of these musicians,” Wolfe said.

Diverting from the 21-and-older age limit associated with most music festivals, the couple wants to curate a space that can be enjoyed by all.

“We want to be very inclusive of everyone,” Crow-Ka said. “We’re doing all-ages, and there’s a discount for children. We definitely want that family vibe.”

FUTURE PLANS

For the long term, Wolfe and Crow-Ka are hoping to make Departure Fest a yearly staple in Quilcene.

“It’s nice to feel the support of our community and really give back with the same or greater capacity. I really hope that this turns into a really big event that people are going to be coming to year after year,” Wolfe said.

The couple are overjoyed to be organizing the festival, but they’re still artists at heart, and are most excited to take the stage again with The Shift and perform for their community. 

“It’s all just so exciting. I’m looking forward to getting on stage and performing ourselves,” Crow-Ka said.

To purchase tickets and learn more about Departure Fest NW, go to musicbytheshift.com/departurefestival.