Revived Sky River Rock Festival relives 1960s hippie dreams
Before there was Woodstock, there was the Sky River Rock Festival.
On Labor Day weekend in 1968, nearly a year before Woodstock, tens of thousands of young longhairs gathered on a raspberry farm near Sultan to hear bands such as Santana, the Grateful Dead and Country Joe and the Fish. The brainchild of a Seattle underground newspaper called The Helix, it’s said to be America’s first outdoor, multi-day music festival.
Volkert Volkersz, a former Snohomish music teacher who now lives in New Hampshire, was there.
Volkersz, 18 at the time, worked the concession stand in exchange for free tickets. During lulls, he watched the big-name acts as well as a slew of bands from the Seattle area that he admired.
“I was thrilled to be there,” he said. “I just soaked it all up.”
Sky River Rock Festival’s run ended in 1970, but it was revived in 2017. The 51st anniversary of the festival is Aug. 3 at Willis Tucker Park in Snohomish.
Ten acts will play classic rock, funk, rock ‘n’ roll, folk and blues on two stages. There also will be chainsaw artists, a beer and wine garden, a craft fair, food booths and an opportunity for musicians to jam.
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One week later was the
Monterey Pop Festival, June 16, 17, & 18th, 1967
