ARLINGTON – When Jana Hecla and Carolyn Gutierrez started the Oso River Rock Festival last summer, the goal was to have something fun to help the community heal from the Oso landslide.
This year, it adds another tragedy from which to heal – the murders of Patrick Shunn and Monique Patenaude.
“It will be in their memory,” Hecla, owner of the Oso General Store, said of the festival.
The free festival behind the store in the Oso Town Center Field will start with acoustic music Friday, Aug. 5, from 6-10 p.m. at 30230 Oso Loop Road in Arlington. Oso’s own Burnt Breakfast and Ariela Bialek, along with the Aaron Willsie and Flyrod, will perform.
Rock-n-roll takes over Aug. 6 starting at noon with: Burnt Breakfast, Ian Hale and the Legacy, The Rachel Wright Group, The Super Tonix, Flyrod, Superfekta, Klover Jane and Wyatt Olney & the Wreckage.
Gutierrez was in charge of putting together the entertainment.
Hecla said the family event will include kids activities, such as a petting zoo. Some of the animals were owned by Shunn and Patenaude and have since been adopted by others “after they were taken from us.” Donations will be accepted for a charity for the couple.
Also for the kids will be two huge bouncy houses and a root beer garden. For adults, there will be a beer garden, with proceeds benefitting the Whitehorse Musicians Guild.
Even though the event is getting close, Hecla said there is still room for more food and craft vendors. Unlike most similar events, there is no charge to come sell their wares. “We want to build this up,” Hecla said.
She said the event could use more sponsors, too. The only one thus far is Shunn’s employer.
Hecla said she could also use more volunteers. “We have t-shirts ready that say, ‘Event Staff’,” she said.
Hecla said up to 400 people attended at one point last year, despite wet weather and a muddy field similar to Woodstock. Although she didn’t know it at the time, the festival actually was on the anniversary of Woodstock, Aug. 15. This year it’s been moved up so it won’t compete with the Stillaguamish Tribe’s Festival of the River.
Hecla said while there are other music festivals, they target tourists, while this one is for locals. And the other festivals can be costly.
“It can be hard to take a family,” she said.
Hecla continued: “We need people out here. We’re nice people. And you can dance all night long.”
Prior to the event that Saturday, at the nearby Rhodes River Ranch, there will be a car show starting at 9 a.m.
For details go to www.facebook.com/OsoRiverRockFest/