Move Over, Portland

Boise just sat down at the cool kids’ table.

More commonly dubbed the “City of Trees,” Boise is shaking things up with a music festival that capitalizes on a burgeoning culture of art and music downtown. “We’re putting Boise on the map,” says Elizabeth Orcutt, Volunteer Coordinator for the annual Festival. “We want to let it be known that Boise is a cool place to stop and hang out!”

Treefort Music Fest

 

The Treefort Music Festival was founded in 2012 by Eric Gilbert, local musician, sound man and smooth-talker, dubbed by Orcutt as “one of the hardest working people in Boise’s music scene.” With producer Lori Shandro, the Treefort Music Festival earned its place in 2012 on the Boise line-up of must-attend events, with featured artists such as Of Montreal, Built to Spill, Typhoon, and Araabmuzik. Now in its second year, the Treefort Festival is getting more attention (and building more anticipation) than ever.

Photo cred: Devin Ferrell

“One of the cool things about Boise is our music and art scene,” says Orcutt. “The Festival has brought a lot of awareness to that–there’s a greater sense of people wanting to come out to shows even after the Festival ends.”

Last year’s Treefort Music Festival required around 220 volunteers, a number that Orcutt expects will grow to around 300 for 2013–especially considering the perks: volunteers receive a discounted pass, a unique volunteer t-shirt, and they’ll get to interact with the musicians throughout the Festival. Plus, with VolunteerLocal, it’s never been easier for Treefort volunteers to snag a coveted shift during their favorite performances!

Photo cred: www.tixr.com

“VolunteerLocal has saved us days and days of work,” says Orcutt. “Last year, I coordinated our volunteers manually. I signed them up using a Google form and then scheduled them using spreadsheets and calendars.” She laughs, a little bitterly, as she recalls, “at one point, my entire kitchen table was covered with spreadsheets. It was intense.”

This year, the Treefort Music Festival is bringing the heat with a four-day lineup of nationally acclaimed artists, including Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, Animal Collective, The Walkmen, Youth Lagoon, Camper Ban Beethoven, Dan Deacon, and YACHT performing on multiple stages throughout Boise.

You can buy your tickets at www.treefortmusicfest.com, or volunteer by clicking here.

 

kaylee@volunteerlocal.com

Kaylee Williams is the President of VolunteerLocal, a volunteer scheduling, management and communication platform for organizations of all types and sizes. Williams is passionate about community service and inclusion (diversity) in tech. She is a triathlete, volunteer coach for Girls on the Run, bass guitar player and homebrewer.