SPECIAL REPORT FROM ELLIE AUERBACH AND JOEY CAMPBELL
With over 50,000 attendees, the second year of the FairWell Festival was an absolute success. Despite facing challenging weather conditions, the festival’s meticulous planning and execution ensured a smooth and enjoyable experience for everyone. To combat the summer heat, the organizers set up numerous shaded areas equipped with misters, providing much-needed relief from the blazing Central Oregon sun. Hydration stations were conveniently located and well-stocked, offering cool water well into the evening. The absence of long lines at these stations was a testament to the thoughtful preparation—a feature often lacking at other festivals. C3 Presents focused on implementing a few logistical key changes from last year, the most notable being the traffic/parking plan. Shuttle buses were extremely efficient and well readily available, and the traffic flow was much more managed than the year prior.
On Sunday afternoon (day three) an unexpected lightning storm rolled in. The festival crew acted swiftly and efficiently, guiding attendees to safety and encouraging them to seek shelter in their cars or one of the barns on the grounds. The high spirits of the crowd were bolstered when Nicholas Carpenter from Medium Build gave an impromptu performance for those sheltering inside, turning a potentially tense situation into a memorable highlight. Although the storm caused a slight delay in the scheduled lineup the event continued smoothly, demonstrating the resilience and adaptability of both the organizers and attendees.
Welcome To FairWell Festival (photo by Ellie Auerbach)
The festival’s facilities were impressive, especially in comparison to other three-day events featuring such popular performers. The grassy fairgrounds prevented dust from becoming an issue, even with occasional mild winds. The layout and sound design were particularly noteworthy. The compact size of the grounds meant that large stages didn’t require multiple sound arrays spaced further back, allowing for a more cohesive auditory experience. This setup enabled attendees to enjoy performances on the Main Stage from afar, seated comfortably on chairs and blankets without interference from the Metolius Stage behind them. The walk between stages was pleasant, thanks to the strategically placed tents and vintage clothing vendors along the paths, which were never overly crowded. The mini-stream running through the grounds added a charming visual element and a fun, refreshing shortcut for those willing to brave the water.
Festival goers surely could find things to fill their time between sets; there was a tent to get custom-fitted cowboy hats, cowboy boots branded, and a Seager pop-up shop full of awesome items. The line for the Ferris Wheel was always pretty long, continuing to prove that not only is it a great addition to festivals for photos, but also for attendee enjoyment between sets.
(Aerial Photo of Festival Taken by Taylor Regulski)
The VIP lounge was the perfect retreat for cooling down and recharging, offering quick access to drinks, food, and merchandise. The addition of cornhole games and dark red picnic tables created a relaxed and inviting atmosphere, ideal for socializing and unwinding for the upsell set.
One area where the festival could improve is in its food and beverage offerings. While the options were on par with typical festival prices, there was a missed opportunity to showcase the local craft beer and food trucks that Bend and Redmond are renowned for. Incorporating these local breweries and restaurants would have added a distinct regional touch and likely many attendees would have been thrilled to sample the area’s culinary scene.
Saturday’s lineup was packed back-to-back with incredible bands. Mipso was an absolute pleasure to see, as they’re one of the few bands at the Festival I’ve been following for years but haven’t gotten to see live. It’s evident they love what they do and the crowd was swaying and singing along to nearly all their songs. I also had the chance to meet with band member Mendolinist and vocalist Jacob Sharp, and it was a pleasure learning a bit more about the journey of Mipso.
Sam Barber captivated the audience on the main stage in the middle of the day; despite the peak heat of the day, his performance had the crowd dancing, showcasing Barber’s rising star power. After that, I had a tough decision between Shakey Graves and Richy Mitch & the Coal Miners, but I ultimately decided upon the latter and it turned out to be a great choice. The band is a group of best friends out of Colorado. Lead singer Mitch Cutts shared personal and group anecdotes in between songs. I personally love a bunch of their songs and was duly impressed seeing them live. The crowd (myself included) sang every lyric to ‘Lake Missoula’ and ‘Lucerne.’
I didn’t think their set could have gotten better, but the special guest appearance of CAAMP (my personal favorite band for the past three years) joined to perform ‘Evergreen’ and it blew my mind. It is clear Richy Mitch & the Coal Miners are going to continue to make huge strides as they grow in popularity. The Extended Version of ‘Evergreen’ featuring CAAMP is came out on Spotify August 8th, and like many attendees I feel extremely lucky to have seen it live.
Richy Mitch & The Coal Miners with CAAMP (photo by Ellie Auerbach)
Ryan Bingham’s voice is captivating – his raspy, deep and slow drawl that makes everyone in the crowd feel like he’s singing just to you. Bingham’s band is extremely talented and full of energy, and the golden hour beams of sunlight made the set seem like out of a movie.
CAAMP has consistently impressed me away when I see them live, and their set at the FairWell Festival was no exception. Their stage was decorated beautifully with lavender flowers, adding an outstanding touch.
(CAAMP Stage Taken by Dusana Risovic)
I was singing every lyric to each CAAMP song, but it seemed that the crowd favorite was ‘Believe’ from their Album “Lavender Days.” They cultivate a unique sound, blending elements of folk, rock, and a touch of bluegrass, complemented by Taylor Meier’s smoky vocals. Taylor shifted to the drum kit for the first song of the encore, which was a fun change-up. To close out an epic Saturday night, CAAMP brought out Richy Mitch & The Coal Miners to sing Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams,” which had every single person singing along.
My Sunday started off with Sumbuck dominating the Main Stage at 2pm, with a crowd eager and ready to take on the last day of FairWell Festival. Taylor said, “I didn’t think anyone would show up this early, but thank you all.” To wrap up the set, Taylor debuted a new CAAMP song with his guitar solo.
Lead singer David Shaw of The Revivalists delivered an incredible performance, brimming with energy and passion. His barefoot dancing brought smiles to everyone in the crowd. For me, the highlight of the weekend was their rendition of ‘Soulfight.’ The saxophonist absolutely nailed it, and the onstage energy rivaled that of a Nathaniel Rateliff show.
Taking the Main Stage next were Black Pumas, with lead singer Eric Burton absolutely bringing the energy throughout the whole set. A few times he even jumped off stage and danced into the crowd. His backup singers and dancers were super fun to watch, and the final song of the set ‘Colors’ was a crowd-pleaser.
(Black Pumas Taken by Andrea Escobar)
Whiskey Myers on the Crooked Stage was packed, and his set was the perfect country opener for Headliner Kacey Musgraves. Musgraves’ performance closed the 3-day festival and had everyone singing until the last lyric of her set.
(Whisky Myers Taken by Taylor Regulski)
Overall, the FairWell Festival stood out for its excellent organization, thoughtful amenities and high-quality performances, making it a must-visit event for country and folk music lovers.
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