From Aug. 22 to 24, 2014, Ponderosa Festival will be back in beautiful Rock Creek, British Columbia, for its second year celebrating arts, music and freshness.
Ponderosa Festival is a three-day festival experience that includes picturesque riverside camping, over 20 bands on two stages, local artists, food market, and unlimited good vibes.
According to a press release announcing the event that was released on Monday this year artists will come from across North America. Organizers promise a summer event that is sure to get people moving. “It will be an unforgettable grass roots celebration that will be well worth driving to.”
This year the festival will feature such acts as Plants and Animals, Blouse, BRAIDS, Good For Grapes, Jay Malinowski & the Deadcost, and some great local BC acts such as the Funk Hunters, Ladyhawk, Gay Nineties, and No Sinner.
Ponderosa Festival is the brainchild of Kia Zahrabi and Kris Hargrave, two friends that grew up in the Okanagan and Boundary regions of BC who had the dream of creating unique events, sharing good music, and making great memories.
“It all started with a simple conversation between two friends on the power of music and how it brings people together,” said Hargrave in the press release.
The idea further ignited after an orchard party at the family farm in the Okanagan Valley during the summer of 2012. What started off as a gathering of a couple dozen close friends turned into a long weekend party of nearly 100, playing music, tubing down the river, camping under the stars, and eating mouthwatering fresh fruits right off of the tree. That vision morphed into a dream to put on a summer festival – a dream that became a reality last August. The first annual Ponderosa Festival took place at the Rock Creek Fairgrounds from August 30 to September 2, 2013.
It brought amazing talent to the stage and an incredible group of people together for a weekend of shear bliss. The location, the arts, the food, the story, and of course, the music all contribute to the unique festival experience that is Ponderosa.”
Kris and Kia are so passionate about this project and take every opportunity to bring something genuine and pure to those who attend. The two of them talk about going back to the true meaning of ‘hosting’ a party. This is what they feel has, and will separate them from other music festivals.
“We are striving to maintain a certain vibe and are looking to build a sense of community that we feel has faded from some of the larger outdoor music events,” said Zahrabi.
The Ponderosa team has a focus on sustainability and believes in organic growth. Rock Creek is a small community that enjoys its laid back, undiscovered reputation and the organizers want to be sure the festival grows at a rate that the community is comfortable with.
For this reason, they see Ponderosa as a niche festival – a unique getaway festival experience.
At least two nearby residents complained about the volume and late hours to the fair association that rented the venue to festival organizers at last years’ event. Discussions between the fair board and Ponderosa have led to an agreement to try to lessen the disturbance for nearby residents.