Looks like a picture-perfect weather forecast for Petaluma Music Festival today (Saturday, August 7th) as nine bands, scores of talented and nationally renowned musicians, event producers and passionate volunteers put finishing touches on what promises to be the makings of a world class event at the Sonoma Marin Fairgrounds.
Hundreds of music festival attendees are flooding into Petaluma this morning from distant parts as far north as Canada and across the United States.
And with warmer than late temperatures expected to settle in the mid 70s, what could be better than an afternoon and early evening on the lawn at the main stage, lounging on a picnic blanket, kicking back in a low lawn chair and listening to the sounds of highly acclaimed Trombone Shorty, Zydeco Flames, ALO, Poor Man's Whiskey, Steve Lucky and the Rhumba Bums and Petaluma-based Peter Welker Sextet (featuring vocalist Jeff Oster), The Artifacts and Hillside Fire?
Southern SoCo Life's good pals Pizza Politano are setting up wood burning oven shop at the Festival, serving up the county's most sought after artisan pizzas alongside local Lagunitas beers, lots more tasty eats and regional wines.
In an article I wrote for the Petaluma Argus Courier on Thursday July 29th, jazz legend and hometown festival performer Peter Welker encouraged fellow Petalumans to turn out for this year's fantastic line-up: "I feel that every child that has a chance to play music will be all the more complete in his or her journey through life," he said in response to the Festival's sole mission of raising sufficient funds to keep music programs alive in Petaluma schools.
Likewise, front man of popular Hillside Fire and Petaluma Alumni Sebastian Nau (son of city council candidate and festival auction coordinator Karen Nau) said: "Music is the staple for most kids with a creative mentality to find comfort in an otherwise confusing world, especially at a young age. It is a shame that music isn't seen as a priority to the ones budgeting our country's money but with an event like the Petaluma Music Festival, we have the opportunity to show the power that a musician has and how much passion and hard work will pay off even if only to inspire another human to do good and better the world."
Inspiration in innovative community fundraising for education is certainly at a high point here in Southern Sonoma County as foundations such as PEF and the Petaluma Music Festival look to the people, local business and corporate sponsors to make a positive impact on otherwise crippling state cuts.
The third annual Petaluma Music Festival has evolved from an original Petaluma Wine, Jazz and Blues Festival, brainchild of the music festival's board of directors under the production leadership of Petaluma High School Instrumental Director, Cliff Eveland.
Now with its own non-profit status, the festival has broader appeal to people of all ages and a wider variety of tastes in music. Committed to keeping music in the schools, the festival board plans to distribute profits from today's event to the following schools:
- Elementary Schools in the Petaluma, Old Adobe and Waugh School Districts
- Two Rock, Wilson, Liberty, Dunham, Mary Collins at Cherry Valley, and Cinnabar Elementary Schools
- Petaluma Junior and Kenilworth Junior High Schools
- Petaluma and Casa Grande High Schools
The family-friendly Festival opens today at 11 am with Petaluma band the Artifacts on the Garden Stage, with non-stop live music performances on two stages until 8 pm. Hillside Fire warm up the stage for headliner Trombone Shorty at 6.10 pm. Shorty's show-stopping performance is slated from 6.30 pm to 8 pm.
Tickets are $30 at the gate. Children under 12 enter for free (one with each full price ticketed adult).
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