Annual Walla Walla Guitar Festival

Known for award-winning wines, sweet onions, its historic downtown and gourmet restaurants, Walla Walla has another great tourist attraction — great music! With that in mind, you are invited to attend the 14th Annual Walla Walla Guitar festival on March 14, 15, and 16.

This year’s festival will feature more than 30 acts known for their rock, blues, funk, jazz and country music, playing at 10 Walla Walla venues within easy walking distance of one another — the Marcus Whitman ballroom, VFW Post 992, the Walla Walla Eagles Lodge, AK’s Mercado, T-Post Tavern, Henry Earl Estates, the House of Smith, Plumb Cellars, Grandma’s Kitchen and the Walla Walla Beer Parlor.

The Coyote Kings, the festival hosts, are known for their high-energy stage performances featuring the jaw-dropping vocals of Tiphony Dames.

The Artists
Artists this year include headliners Chris Cain, Albert Castiglia and Lionel Young, and the long list of acts includes Sammy Eubanks, Coyote Kings w/Tiphony Dames, Diego Romero, Polly O’Keary & The Rhythm Method, Kevin Selfe & The Tornadoes, the Bennett Matteo Band, Billy Stoops & The Rectifiers, the Real Deal Gospel, Desert Moondogs, Wasteland Kings, Gary Winston & The Real Deal, Sum People, Stereo Bird, Whiskey Creek, the Michael Kelly Band, Michael Agidius, Mike Mendoza, Denny Sedam, Connor Hubin, JoAnne “JoJo” Mohrland, Ty Lane, Cory Peterson, Scotty Wilson, Randy Woody and Aaron “Dog Bite” Harris.

Born in 1955, Chris Cain has been described as “one of the truly great blues guitarists of his generation.” His latest album, released last July with 13 original songs, is called “Good Intentions Gone Bad.”

Albert Castiglia combines hardcore blues with soul, rock and country flavors for a sound that will appeal to rockers and blues purists alike. He has won multiple Blues Music Awards.

Fans of the classically trained Lionel Young love his distinctive brand of blues on the electric violin. He has worked with Count Basie, Stevie Wonder, Doc Severenson, Linda Ronstadt and many other giants of the music world.

Music All Over Downtown
There will be shows in multiple venues all over town. “The whole downtown will come alive with music over that weekend,” said organizer Robin Barret, frontman for the Coyote Kings. The featured shows begin on Thursday with the Shaman’s Prefest Jam. Then, on Friday, it’s the Opening Concert and the Kick-off Party. On Saturday, enjoy the Large Show, the Guitar Crawl and The Tarwater All-Star Jam.

And close out your Guitar Festival experience on Sunday with the Gospel Brunch and Jazz at The Fest.

Tickets
The cost for the Friday sessions is $60 and the Saturday admission to all venues is $95 — or you can buy a Friday-Saturday ticket for $140 or an all-weekend pass that is good for all three days for $175. Motel-and-festival packages for two people at the Best Western Plus are $649, and at the Marcus Whitman the package is $699. If you’d rather shop ala carte, individual concerts and shows can also be purchased separately. Check the website for options.

The Walla Walla Guitar Festival is brought to you by the Walla Walla Guitar Festival Association with help from the City of Walla Walla, Walla Walla County, the Port of Walla Walla, the Washington Blues Society, the Inland Empire Blues Society, the Marc Restaurant, Locati Cellars, Jacobs Engineering, P1FCU, and the Walla Walla Union Bulletin.

Tickets, packages and information are available at wallawallaguitarfestival.com.