Chelanfest: A weekend for friends, by friends

The idea of Chelanfest first began as a jest: “what if we hosted our own music festival?” Months of planning later in the Summer of 2017, it became a reality. We had convinced over 70 friends to drive our to Chelan, Washington to spend the weekend camping and listening to music created by their friends.

What is Chelanfest?

Chelanfest is a homegrown music & arts festival, where friendship comes first and all are welcome. At Chelanfest, we value all forms of expression, and strive to build a community where, through cooperation, anything can be brought to life. Previous Chelanfests have seen musicians from all genres, mixed media performances, and spoken word. No background or experience is required — we only ask for passion and originality.

Beyond the performances, Chelanfest is meant to feel like a family reunion. A camp-out weekend with all your friends, old and new, where the power of many working together can create a weekend of magic. Beyond the music, we have events and friendly competitions, a community kitchen, a tea lounge, and art tables to make your own festival wristband or zine.

Chelanfest is just one of the events we run as part of our arts and music collective, EveryFolk. We like to see where the “what ifs” go when everyone works together. Along with Chelanfest, we’ve hosted a micro music festival called Lummi Lummi, a house music festival called Shackfest, and an art gallery where all were welcome to display their art. Our goal is to give everyone the opportunity to showcase their talents in a safe, encouraging environment.

Build spaces for expression

I believe in the power of spaces. They shape and define the way people feel and interact. Our first year, we had to focus on basic infrastructure. I led the overall organization of the festival (camping, bathrooms, kitchens, …) and Mark, a fellow organizer, led the effort to build a stage. The first year, we kept it simple: a platform built on top of an old trailer. It wasn’t fancy, but it was sturdy and it got the job done.

Our second year, we upgraded the stage, created an EDM dance tent, and I led the construction of my pet project — Annika’s nook — a hand-dug amphitheater, built into the side of the hill for those looking for smaller, more intimate performances.

Annika’s nook, named in honor of Annika who worked on the farm that was previously on the property.

This year, having both stages and all infrastructure built, we were able to expand into new spaces. Ashley led the creation of a tea lounge, where people could go to relax and recharge. I upgraded our light game and made the property come alive at night. Shannon led the creation of a full community kitchen with prep, cooking, and cleaning stations. Brian built a soundbooth to the production team could mix live music better. And Mark created an instrument storage area to protect gear against the elements.

Organize the Organizers

Each year, Chelanfest requires a lot of organization. In previous years, we struggled with organizer burnout, over commitment, and under communication. This year, to combat these problems, I ensured our first planning meeting discussed our values, frustrations, and shared goals. Taking this feedback, I formalized them into a document and set of shared principles:

Success is having a relaxed, organized operation with clear expectations, responsibility, and limits.
Plan for success, but be flexible to failure.
Respect each other: everyone has the same vision, but not everyone envisions the same path to success.
We understand that the realities of each person's’ life limits the resources (time, money, energy) they can commit. We lean on each other and the community to make Chelanfest happen. Ask for help, delegate.
Day of, we strive to exemplify good citizenship and, most importantly, enjoy the festival!

To build the event we want, it’s important that we first interact well amongst ourselves. We set the example for the weekend in what we achieve together, and how we get it done. Further, by taking the time to communicate internally and externally with our community, we can both build the culture we want and the next class of Chelanfest organizers.

Build a Culture

A successful Chelanfest comes from everyone: the planners who work for months ahead of the weekend, the helpers at pre-fest build events, and every festival-goer. While the festival is small and full of familiar faces, it’s always important to set the right expectations and culture. This year, I led the definition of cultural principles to help guide those organizing and those attending the big event:

Foster Friendship First. Reconnect with old friends and make new ones. Goodwill towards all is important. Act with integrity.
You get what you put in. The festival is not the point; building it is. The experience of building is its own reward. Before the festival, you build dreams and visions. During the festival, you are building it moment by moment.
Share with honesty. Don't be afraid to share what makes you, you. Create art, moments, community. Invigorate others with your passion.
Surprise and delight. Add your own spice. Trying is celebrated. ":O!" is the best compliment.
Cover lots of ground, minimize footprints. Leave no trace. Enthusiasm and goodwill are unlimited, resources are not.

Culture is more than a few agreed upon statements - it’s what an organization lives and breathes in every interaction. By having specific words to reinforce the shared values, organizations can more successfully weather storms that challenge them.

Set expectations early and often

One of our biggest stressors each year is money. Many of the organizers readily volunteer their time and their money to make the event happen, hoping that they’ll be reimbursed and understanding that they likely won’t. After seeing the contention this caused in previous years, I decided to head finances for Chelanfest 2019.

I started by collecting information from previous years including costs of ‘necessities’ like firewood, gasoline for the generators, and u-hauls, as well as attendance numbers and donation amounts. I organized this information and presented it to each “head” (sound, space, and facilities), working with each of them to build an anticipated budget.

With information comes power. Through the planning and build-out phases of this year, we were able to track spending and set expectations accordingly. “You have $20 left in the Stage budget. If you spend any more, still send me the costs, but I can no longer guarantee your reimbursement.” This empowers each person to make informed decisions, and to feel in control.

Looking ahead to future years

We don’t know how long we’ll do Chelanfest, or what the next festival will bring. For now, we’re looking forward to 2020 and bringing excited people together to make magic happen.