5,000 People Connect at 2023 AWMF

2023 Ashland World Music Festival draws record turnout and raises $6,000 so far for Almeda Wildfire recovery efforts!

Fabiola Mendez Trio at the Park Performances. Photo courtesy of Bob Palermini Photography.

5,000 people attended the 8th annual Ashland World Music Festival events over the course of Memorial Day weekend. Guest attendance drew deeply from the Rogue Valley region and also included participants from the full I-5 corridor, with visitors from as far away as Los Angeles and Seattle. Increased attendance is one on-going goal of the festival producers (Rogue World Music and Ashland Parks & Recreation Commission). The intention is to simultaneously bring together folks from throughout the Rogue Valley/Southern Oregon region AND support local businesses by drawing visitors to the AWMF events from outside the region. 

Ashland Plaza Community Dance Crowd. Photo courtesy of Bob Palermini Photography.

“It was so wonderful to see all these smiling people gathered together, day after day! This is the first year that we’ve had AWMF attendees actively letting us know that they were visiting town from places like Eugene, Seattle, Half Moon Bay, or Los Angeles specifically because of our events.” - Ana Byers, Rogue World Music Executive Director.

A second on-going goal of the AWMF is to amplify the work of culture-bearing artists while offering all attendees the opportunity to learn and participate. This year, the AWMF showcased 13 different culture-bearing artists/performance groups over the course of the festival’s 6 events: The SoundWalk, Percussion Workshop, Musician Talk Back, HeartBeat Stories, Park Performances, Plaza Community Dance. Artists had the opportunity to provide cultural context, teach festival goers how to participate, and share their own stories about their connection to the music traditions presented, including at two new events. The first AWMF Musician Talk Back (produced in partnership with Ashland Public Library) presented Jake Blount as the engaging and deeply knowledgeable speaker about the history of Black American music. Another first, the Plaza Community Dance, brought together over 600 people in Ashland’s Downtown Plaza for joyful samba music by local band Alquimistas and dancing by all. 

Alquimisas with band leader Felipe Luz at the Ashland Plaza Community Dance. Photo courtesy of Bob Palermini Photography.

“The Ashland World Music Festival was amazing again this year! There were so many fabulously talented artists. It just keeps getting better. I feel so lucky to get to be a part of it.” - Bekkah McAlvage, local educator, musician, and long-time AWMF team member.

To date, the incredible turn out to this FREE collection of events generated over $6,000 and the fundraiser remains open until June 30th. This year, donations are in support of the ACCESS Center for Community Resilience. This program provides support (financial and otherwise) to Rogue Valley community members displaced by the 2020 Almeda Wildfire who are still seeking transitional and permanent housing. 2.5 years later, hundreds of community members are still waiting to return to their communities. Community-giving was galvanized by Cascade Hasson Sotheby’s International Realty's $2,500 matching challenge to this fundraiser as part of their commitment to supporting the long-term recovery of the wider Rogue Valley community after this natural disaster.

Park Performances crowd. Photo courtesy of Bob Palermini Photography.

“The 8th Annual Ashland World Music Festival was a wonderful event that brought our community together in celebration. So many people in Ashland enjoyed the unique stories, music, and culture each artist brought with them. I am proud of the wonderful work Rogue World Music and Ashland Parks & Recreation collaborated on in service of our community and of all the generosity from the community to support ACCESS's ongoing Almeda Wildfire recovery efforts. We’ve created a strong partnership and we’ll keep building on this in order to provide positive contributions to the Ashland community and our neighbors.” - Lonny Flora, Ashland Parks & Recreation Commission Recreation Manager.

As always, this FREE community event would not be possible without the generous support of community sponsors like Evergreen Federal Bank, Gil’s Taphouse, Southern Oregon PBS, Cascade Hasson Sotheby’s International Realty, Bicoastal Media, Full Circle Real Estate, Bob Palermini Photography, KSKQ, Ashland Shop’n Kart, Harry & David, Neuman Hotel Group, Pacific Power, Ashland.news, First Interstate Bank, Oregon Healthcare.gov, Ashland Insurance, The Forest Conservation Burial Ground, Southern Oregon Printing, Ashland Locals Guide Magazine, People’s Bank, and Avista. 

“Bravo…on a very wonderful Music Festival! It was a brilliant event and beautiful day. Thank you for allowing us to be part of your event.” - Melissa Vierra, Evergreen Federal Bank Marketing Director.

The Ashland World Music Festival is co-produced by Rogue World Music (a local 501(c)(3) arts nonprofit) and the Ashland Parks & Recreation Commission. Additional collaborating entities include the SOU Music Department, the Ashland Branch of the Jackson County Library Services, and the Ashland Chamber of Commerce. Founded in 2016, the Ashland World Music Festival is a free community event for the Rogue Valley Community. In 2020, it also became a fundraiser for nonprofit programs directly serving those impacted by the 2020 Almeda Wildfire. 

To make a donation to this fundraiser (open until 6/30/23) visit www.rogueworldmusic.org/awmf.