“Music is moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything.”
Plato sure had the vibe of Harefest figured all those centuries ago. Fortunately, what Plato instinctively understood will be on full display in Canby July 18-20 as another Harefest musical feast uncoils at the fairgrounds.
Harefest returns for its 12 iteration and yes, there shall be rock. And yes, there shall be roll. And yes, there shall be musical mayhem and merriment for thousands once again during the “Mother of all tribute band festivals,” which this year has expanded to a third day and longer sessions.
The festival features 27 tribute bands on three stages, featuring tributes to Queen, Journey, CCR, Red Hot Chili Peppers, KISS, Heart, Alabama, Boston, Fleetwood Mac, Stone Temple Pilots, Hall & Oats and more.
Each night features a finale set in the event center’s courtyard — dubbed “Hippie Hollow” for the event — which includes a laser light show produced by Laser Gator.
As always, Harefest promises to be bigger, better and a blast in its third year on the Clackamas County Event Center’s grounds.
“People are super excited about us bringing in a massive overhead shade installation to help keep everyone cool while rockin’ out,” said co-creator Jason Fellman. “It was the No. 1 request from our annual attendee survey, and we take that feedback very seriously.
“We always take pride in delivering an over-the-top retro music experience, but I think what we are most proud of is the friendly festival culture and welcoming environment,” he added. “It’s all about creating good times together and making lasting memories each year. Overnight RV and tent sites sold out in record time this year, but there’s still plenty of concert venue space to join the fun each day with either a single day or three-day festival pass.”
The festival, which was started in a field behind the Wild Hare Saloon in Canby, has grown virtually every year.
The event, with its emphasis on tribute bands delivering classic riffs and memorable lyrics from the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s, has caught that generation of music-lovers looking to rekindle some youthful magic – and hooking younger generations into those tunes.
“The world is full of compromise, and infinite red tape. But the music’s got the magic, it’s your one chance for escape.”
The Canadian power trio Triumph offered that take on the power of music, and that “magic power” has helped usher Harefest to a special musical place.
“It’s pretty wild to think about how much this festival has grown since its humble beginnings at the Wild Hare Saloon in Canby’s ‘backyard,’” said Fellman. “It has truly transformed into a multi-generational tradition. Just a few years ago, I wouldn’t have imagined Harefest getting name-checked in a Travel Oregon marketing campaign. Something like that really helps demonstrate that Harefest is about so much more than music. It’s really attained a feel, of adult summer camp or family reunion feel and people are really responding to that.”
As always, Harefest will offer a few new things for folks to keep an eye out for. These include:
Guildworks – Architecture of The Air installations shading the area in front of both Main Venue stages.Expanded Thursday and Friday line-ups. Friday programming begins at 11 a.m. — previous Friday schedules began at 6 p.m.The FastBar wristband payment system provides a virtually cashless experience, allowing attendees to make all food, beverage, and commemorative merchandise purchases with a tap.
For more information and tickets, go to https://harefest.com.
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