Timber! Outdoor Music Festival Is Back To Bring The Love

Timber Outdoor Music Festival
Timber Outdoor Music Festival

Special to SMI from founder and former contributor, Greg Roth and Director of the forthcoming documentary, “#WeRideWhy” (Delayed until 2023 due to COVID).

July of 2019…That is the last year that many music and art lovers of all ages gathered at Told-McDonald Park to celebrate life, art and music at Timber! Outdoor Music Festival. The last two plus years have been filled with isolation, political division, economic strife, wars and so on and so on and Scooby doobie doobie. In the immortal words of Crash Davis from the film, Bull Durham: “We’re dealing with a lot of shit here!” That is why music is so important to those who love music and sharing it with those they love. Music and Art is oxygen, and Timber always seems to have an unlimited supply.

More Than a Music Event…

I have said it before and I will say it again. Timber! Outdoor Music Festival is not just a music event. It is a life event. At Timber, none of the things that divide us exist. What does exist at Timber is unity, connection, joy, peace, passion and most important, love. To me, Timber is love personified. The love of music, the love we have for our family and friends, the love of nature and the love of our community.

Timber! represents everything a festival should be – a space for pure art, community, exploration, fun and authentic self-expression. I attended the first 2 years of Timber in 2013 and 2014 – and both experiences were profoundly special and memorable.

The people who attend Timber take care of their own and leave Tolt Macdonald Campground more impeccable than when they arrived. People bring their own containers to drink out of, instead of those bloody red (my favorite color by the way) plastic cups, that are way overused, and end up in a landfill (Not Cool). Timber! is an experience that is all inclusive in a family and environmentally friendly space, #Freedom.

A Special Meaning to a Special Family….

Timber! also matters to me because it was incredibly important to my friend Ashley Berg, who lost her battle to cancer on Monday, May 14, the day after Mother’s Day in 2018. I know for a fact that her Timber experiences were some of the best days of the last years of her life.

#Timberfest you make me so happy every year. I love you.

– Ashley Berg

Some of you may be aware that Jason Tang and I are working on a documentary film called #WeRideWhy to be completed in 2023 (delayed 2 years because of Covid). Ashley is the heart of the story.

When Ashley was battling cancer, one of the biggest highlights of the year was the Timber! Outdoor Music Festival. She shared it with her daughter Piper every year since the summer of 2013. The last couple of years, her family joined her and Piper at Timber. As you will see in the video below, the festival’s founder, organizer, and artist Kevin Sur paid a moving tribute to Ashley and her family from the stage. Ashley’s family will be there again this year to honor her and celebrate her life. They and thousands come to bask in the majesty of music, art, activities, community, and God’s glory, underneath a beautiful sky in a lovely little place called Carnation, Washington.

#WeRideWhy – Timber Fest from #WeRideWhy on Vimeo.

Timber! takes place this weekend, July 21-33. Tickets are available at: https://summer.timbermusicfest.com/tickets/

Directions & Location

The 2022 LINEUP INCLUDES:

The Milk Carton Kids, Caroline RoseDeep Sea DiverBuilt to Spill The Sacred Soul Simon & Garfunkel Sing AlongThe Moondoggies,Tomo NakayamaWild PowwersBrittany DavisSkyway ManBylandPerry PorterKate DinsmoreBreaks and SwellsPherFunkwaysRat QueenMr. DinklesCassandra Lewis, GuayabaSearowsTrevor Eulau QuartetAdra Boo

& SPECIAL KIDS SHOWS FROM…

MikeyMike The Rad Scientist &  8-Bit Brass Band

Not only is he a multi-media journalist, he is also an accomplished musician. He is the founder of SMI and drives the creative look, feel and branding for the publication. His years of writing, arranging, and performing live music in a variety of genres inform his ability to communicate the message and the mechanics of music. Roth’s work on SMI reflects his philosophy that music is the universal language, and builds community. He believes it has the power to unite people of every race, religion, gender, and persuasion.