Dear Festival Family,
This is an announcement we never imagined we would have to make.
The Winthrop Rhythm & Blues Festival will not take place in 2027 following the loss of our longtime home at the Blues Ranch.
The property owner recently informed the Winthrop Music Association that the property would no longer be available to us. The decision was not a reflection of the Association’s stewardship of the property or operation of the festival, but rather a personal decision by the property owners that the time was right for their family to move in a different direction. We asked for the opportunity to remain for one final year to celebrate our 40th anniversary at the place we’ve called home for more than three decades, but unfortunately, those efforts were unsuccessful.
We had every intention of celebrating this incredible milestone together in July 2027. Without the Blues Ranch, the festival as we have all known and loved it simply cannot take place.
MORE THAN A FESTIVAL SITE
We thank the property owners for leasing us the Blues Ranch for so many years. This incredible piece of property came to feel like home and made it possible for something truly remarkable to grow. first under founder Jim Smith and, since 2005, under the nonprofit Winthrop Music Association.
Over nearly four decades, the Winthrop Rhythm & Blues Festival became a nationally recognized, award-winning event, earning the Blues Foundation’s prestigious Keeping the Blues Alive Award and numerous honors from the Washington Festivals & Events Association and Washington Blues Society.
But the festival’s greatest accomplishment has always been the community it created.
You danced there. You camped there. Friendships were formed. Marriages happened. Traditions were created. Artists became friends, and volunteers became family. Countless memories were made along the banks of the Methow River.
The festival also became an important part of the Methow Valley, bringing thousands of visitors to the region each July and supporting local businesses and organizations. We are especially grateful for the longstanding support of the Town of Winthrop, Okanogan County and the greater Methow Valley community.
Since becoming a nonprofit in 2005, WMA has proudly contributed more than $130,000 to community and nonprofit organizations, reflecting our mission to Build Community Through Music.
WHAT HAPPENS NOW?
The WMA Board is beginning to explore other ways to honor the festival’s 40th anniversary and its remarkable history. We don’t know yet what that might look like, and no decisions have been made. What we do know is that nearly 40 years of music, friendships, dancing, memories and community deserve to be celebrated.
Our 39th festival became our last at the Blues Ranch without any of us knowing we were saying goodbye. That may be the hardest part. But we are enormously proud of what this community created together and incredibly grateful to every one of you who has been part of it.
While the Winthrop Rhythm & Blues Festival, as we have produced it, will not take place in 2027, the board is determined to find a new location and keep bringing the joy of this event to the Methow Valley for the next generation.
Thank you for dancing with us. Thank you for supporting us. Thank you for loving the Blues Ranch and this crazy #bestlittlefestival as much as we have.
Thank you for dancing with us. Thank you for supporting us. Thank you for loving the Blues Ranch and this crazy #bestlittlefestival as much as we have.
More to come.
With love and gratitude,
Erika Olsen, Festival Director
Rick Northcott, President, Board of Directors
Winthrop Music Association — Building Community Through Music
Sarah Jo Lightner
Dave Swenson
Peter Dammann
Don Ashford
Matt Pratt
Bart Northcott
Jim Smith
Noah Ashford
FOR THE FUTURE:
If you believe in this festival and the work of the Winthrop Music Association to Build Community Through Music, we hope you’ll consider supporting us during this time of transition. Your contribution now will help us build the resources and capacity needed to explore new possibilities, plan for the future, and carry forward the spirit of this remarkable festival. The music has brought us together for decades. Now is the time to come together for the music.
Please consider making a donation today to help ensure our independent music festival remains a vibrant part of our community’s future.
WINTHROP RHYTHM & BLUES FESTIVAL
The Winthrop Rhythm & Blues Festival is a three-day event — located at the Blues Ranch on the Methow River in the resort town of Winthrop, Washington — packed full of exciting national and regional entertainment for all ages. There’s on-site camping, food and craft vendors, portable showers, a beer garden, and easy access to the river for recreation and cooling, which all help make the Blues Ranch the perfect setting for Washington’s “best little festival.” We look forward to another great year and hope to see YOU at the 39th Annual Winthrop Rhythm and Blues Festival!
The Winthrop Rhythm & Blues Festival is brought to you by Winthrop Music Association (WMA), a 501(c)3 non-profit organization formed in 2005 whose mission is to BUILD COMMUNITY THROUGH MUSIC. We believe that music is a catalyst for joy, connection, and healing.
Our vision is to offer audiences, musicians, volunteers, and staff a profound and unique experience of diverse world-class music, community, and natural beauty; and for the Winthrop Rhythm and Blues Festival and the Winthrop Music Association to be vital partners in creating and sustaining a vibrant cultural and economic ecosystem in the Methow Valley.
WMA is a proud supporter of The Cove Food Bank, Liberty Bell High School Music Program and Booster Club, Methow Arts, Room One, Washington Blues Society Musician Relief Fund, Tommy Zbyszewski Methow Valley Education Foundation scholarship and many others.
2026 Spotify Playlist
Now streaming! Check out our Spotify playlist featuring this year’s artists for your listening pleasure! Take in music from The California Honeydrops, Shinyribs, Southern Avenue, Sue Foley, Mike Farris & the Fortunate Few and more!
Beer Garden Shows
The Methow Juke Joint All-Stars will host our jam sessions in the beer garden after the main stage closes each night Friday, Saturday & Sunday evenings along with many of our touring acts. This long-standing tradition is for many attendees a highlight of the festival, with surprise appearances from main stage musicians and sometimes complete alternate sets from the festival’s finest groups.
Friday’s show benefits The Cove Food Bank. The “Cove”—which is staffed by volunteers and supported by donations from local residents—provides emergency food supplies to families in need in the Methow Valley. You can learn more about the food bank and how to help defeat hunger in the Methow Valley by visiting the organization’s website: www.thecovecares.org. Those of you who’d like to make a donation to this effort can do so at the collection bucket in the Beer Garden.
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