Festival of Friends PNW: Music Festival and Campout Extraordinaire

Festival of Friends PNW Is not your ordinary music festival

The Festival of Friends PNW is one part musical festival, one part summer camp, and one part friendship and community. The event, which takes place over a weekend, is not just about enjoying good music and the outdoors. It’s also an event where you can support and get to know the musicians, enjoy existing friends, make new friends, and build community.

The Festival of Friends PNW is organized by two amazing women: Laure Dwyer and Sue Thurston. I’ve rarely met any two women with bigger hearts and a more positive outlook. Together, they are sharing their energy and their hearts to create a community of musicians/artists, outdoor enthusiasts, music lovers, and friends. And they are making something incredibly special.

Life is better with music and friends

Laure and Sue attended college together in Wisconsin. Music has always been a part of their friendship. They told me how they went to concerts together, and had fun adventures in the outdoors together. Sue plays in bands, and Laure dabbles in guitar. I could hear their passion for music in their voices as they talked about it.

And, it’s obvious they are very close friends. In fact, it’s like they can hear each other think, and they have a bond of love and trust for each other that is beautiful to see and experience. It’s a sisterhood that extends beyond blood. It is a beautiful bond of choice.

Their friendship and love for music and the outdoors are at the heart of this event. Both Sue and Laure want to support small, local artists. They also want to make an effort to include not only women musicians, but to also support women as promoters and producers of music and music events.

Additionally, they want to appreciate the outdoors together, and with their friends. I got the impression that sharing music together in the outdoors is some kind of magical place for them. And it’s a place they want other people to experience, too.

I was not surprised when they said they want the festival to be inclusive of everyone – a place where no one feels left out. Laure says she “can see the big picture,” so she can make sure everyone feels safe and part of the group. Sue reports that they saw friendships blossom at last year’s event. In fact, she halfway expects a couple to meet at the festival and eventually marry!

The birth of a festival

The first Festival of Friends was last year. It started when Sue and Laure asked each other what they’d want to be doing if they didn’t have their current jobs. Laure responded that she’d love to plan events that bring people together. Sue said she’d love to plan a music festival that was also a campout. So this is what they did.

They decided in June of 2023 to host a community-oriented, campout music festival. They called it Festival of Friends PNW (FOF PNW). Their goal: give bands exposure and create an entire event that builds community around music and the outdoors.

Amazingly, they held the first FOF PNW in September of 2023! Laure and Sue say the event just took on a life of its own. Soon, their friends started to volunteer to help, and they secured a location for the event at a Hipcamp in Rainier, Oregon.

“Follow your dreams and let your friends support you.” (Laure Dwyer)

I could see the joy in their eyes as they talked about the support from their friends. Their friend, Emily, a graphic artist, did the illustrations and artwork for the event. Another friend, Elaine, managed a lot of the logistics. Other friends donated food and time just to provide help where it was needed.

The first FOF PNW exceeded their expectations. So, they decided to go bigger this year. Laure and Sue hope that the event grows each year. They would love to eventually have one paid bigger name as a headliner, but will always support the local, smaller artists.

Experience the music

The festival’s performers are singer-songwriters and bands. And, all of them are original artists and not cover bands. When I asked Sue and Laure about the music genre, they described it best as Americana – a blend of Country, Folk, and Rock. Some of this year’s performers are local artists, and some are traveling to participate in this year’s event.

The artists perform mostly in the evening, starting Friday night with singer-songwriter performances. Then, Saturday night the bands perform. On Sunday morning, there’s a live music pancake breakfast hour.

The event is also an opportunity to get close to and support the artists. Because it’s a small, intimate event, the artists sometimes mingle with the guests. Laure said last year some of the performers joined them in the evenings and played their guitars around the campfire. How special is that?

Festival of Friends PNW VIP Lounge

This year’s event will also feature a VIP Lounge for the artists. Laure is remodeling an Airstream Trailer to turn it into a place where the artists can hang out and relax together. It’s just another way to support the artists.

Better than summer camp

What could be better than enjoying great music in the outdoors with friends? Event tickets include two nights of camping. But it’s not just parking an RV or pitching your tent in a parking lot. It’s also an organized camping event.

You can enjoy all kinds of activities for kids of all ages during the day, from yoga to lawn games and arts and crafts. One afternoon, they have a Pacific Northwest trivia contest. All ticket holders will get emails with clues to help them prior to the event.

Kids are welcome, too. In fact, there are some special events for kids. There’s a costume contest, where people dress up with lights and capes (well adults dress up, too). There is also a Kids Stage, where kids can perform and play music together.

And of course, there’s a camp bonfire in the evenings where everyone can gather together. Who’s bringing the S’mores?

As I listened to Laure and Sue talk about the event, I thought to myself, “This is better than any summer camp I’ve ever attended.” And yes, I’ll be there, maybe even doing some live reporting. I can’t wait to experience it.

Thanks to all the friends

Because putting on this event is a team effort, Sue and Laure wanted to thank all of their friends and amazing people who help make the festival a success:

• Kelly (Laure) and Kevin (Sue), their incredibly supportive spouses.
• Kevin (Sue’s spouse) who does the sound for the festival.
• Cali/Winema and Thomas- property owners for this year’s fest.
• Emily- FOF PNW artist/designer of logos, posters, merch (t-shirts/hoodies) designs. https://www.instagram.com/artbyemlejane/.
• Michelle- FOF PNW social media and web design (and performer this year!) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michelleisamusician/. Website: https://www.michellethibodeaux.com.
• Elaine- organizer/supporter extraordinaire who helps us with planning, Festival Food, set-up, welcome bags, making our ideas a reality, and a bunch of other things that we don’t even know we need help with.
• Rachael- Festival Photographer. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wishflowerphoto/. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RachaelKubik.
• Andrea-College friend who connected Laure and Sue years later in Portland.
• William-Friend who donated his Airstream (VIP lounge) to FOF PNW.
• EJ & Kelly- donated shop space for the Airstream remodel.

How to attend this year’s Festival of Friends PNW

This year’s event is located on donated private property near Vernonia, OR. The exact location will be announced to ticket holders closer to the event. I actually kind of like this bit of mystery about the event location. I think it adds a bit more fun and excitement leading up to the event.

All I can say here is the property is near the Nehalem River. And, the organizers and volunteers are building a stage for the event.

It is dry camping, so make sure to bring in everything you need, including water. Laure and Sue are making sure the designated camp spots are far enough part to allow for some extra space between sites, while still using the space efficiently.

You can get tickets and look at the schedule of events at eventbrite. The link is below:

Get Tickets: Festival of Friends PNW Tickets & Info.

Last I heard, they only had about 40 tickets left. So get your tickets before they sell out. You don’t want to miss this special event.