Festival Schedule

Opera on Tap is the largest network of operatic performing artists in the country, and an international non-profit. Born in Brooklyn in 2005, we take a local, grassroots and VERY fun approach to community outreach in the name of our art form, meeting people in the bar, pub, and community spaces that feel like home. Since 2015, Opera on Tap Portland (OOTPDX) has brought opera to the people at venues like McMenamins Kennedy School, Grand Lodge, and Mission Theater, Mike Bennett’s Wonderwood Springs, Vie de Boheme, The Jack London, Produce Row, The Atlantis Lounge, the Vancouver Chautauqua, Wilsonville Library, Trusty Brewing, and Chehalem Cultural Center.

The ever-popular Too Loose Cajun/Zydeco Band rocks the house in the Portland, Oregon area with their infectious brand of Cajun and zydeco dance music from Southwestern Louisiana. Do the two-step to the sound of two fiddles, accordion, electric and acoustic guitars, piano, the traditional Louisiana rub-board, and a kickin’ rhythm section. With their vocal harmonies tart and sweet, male and female, they are perennial favorites on the zydeco stage at Portland’s renowned Waterfront Blues Festival, as well as at area parties, weddings and

festivals. So come on down (and bring your dancin’ shoes).

Friday & Saturday: 10am-8pm
Sunday: 10am-5pm

Explore amazing art vendors and demonstrators throughout the Festival grounds. With fiber arts, ceramics, painting, photography, glassblowing and everything in between, our vendors offer something for every artistic style.

2025 Art Demonstrators and Vendors

• Ana the Artist
• Art by Deborah Nagano
• Art by Hiroko
• Art of Casey Moffett
• Atrum Arte
• Barbara Kay Jewelry
• Beacock
• Bryan Helfrich
• Crimson Koi
• Dory Designed
• Elemental Images Fine Art Photography
• Firehouse Glass
• FISHBONE Pottery
• Hill Yeah! Eco Art Studio
• I’m Into This Place Podcast
• Jim Aul Pottery
• Katie Flack Painted Dots
• Kim Nickens
• Lightly Spiced Gallery
• Linda Lauren Design
• Local Galleries: LaCasita, Art at the Cave, Vancouver arts hub
• Maria Vara Photography
• Northwest Oil Painters Guild
• Old Growth Studio
• Pamela Sue Johnson ART
• PNW Sculptors
• Pop Octopus
• RamrasArt
• Rashmi Patel – Sharp Henna
• Rhythm Art
• School of Rock
• Seiko Originals
• Seterra Design
• Somethin OUTTA Nothin
• Studio Naptime
• The Blind Alley Kat Gallery
• The Crafty Wee Bothy
• Twisted Designs Jewelry
• You’re Doing Great!

Check out free jewelry making and resin pendant making crafts with Old Growth Studio. Stop by their booth to sign up for a 30-minute time slot from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and make your own pressed flower pendent using UV resin.

The School of Rock Vancouver House Band music program gives students under 18 the opportunity to join a gigging band composed of fellow musicians from their school. These students perform additional live shows throughout the year. House Band members become leaders in their School of Rock community and perform live shows at rock venues throughout the year.

Yeates Academy is Oregon and SW Washington’s longest running Traditional Irish Dance School. We teach beginners all the way up to championship levels, as well as adults and children. We teach cultural, competitive, and performance styles here at Yeates Academy, as well as Ceili dancing which is a form of team dancing. Yeates Academy is affiliated with the Irish Dancing Commission in Dublin, Ireland, which allows certified teachers’ students to compete under their name.

WOETOJOY is a square dance and contra band that will have everyone dancing their tail off! Their festival debut includes gender free calls from Bex Bee.

Make and take your own masterpiece on canvas with Artstra. They’ll have all the materials ready for artists of all ages to explore their creative side.

Sweet N’ Juicy are three fruits who just want people to have a good time and love each other. They have cleared 1000 shows nationally, won album of the year at the PNW Music Awards and have recently put out their 4th release.

The Shaun Keylock Dance Company presents “Evidence of Division” by choreographer Tere Mathern, performed by dancers Simon Lace and Carly Ostergaard, with costumes by Adam Arnold, and featuring an original score by composer Heather Perkins. Based in Portland, the Shaun Keylock Company advances contemporary dance, while preserving and deepening engagement with the art form’s history, practice, and performance.

Skamokawa Swamp Opera is an eclectic folk band from Wahkiakum County, Washington. All four members are vocalists and multi-instrumentalists, using varied combinations of cello, guitar, banjo, harmonica, mandocello, percussion, mandolin, and melodica. SSO draws from a wide variety of musical genres ranging from pop to country to opera. They have performed for many regional festivals including Pickathon, the Fisherpoets Gathering, the Scandinavian Midsummer Festival, and last year’s Vancouver Arts and Music Festival.

Teva Oriata is Oregon’s first pupu ori or Tahitian dance school. As a school, they meticulously teach technique and emphasize the meaning behind each dance move. There are classes for men, women, teens, and kids, as well as many occasions for them to dance all together. While currently offering classes in Tahitian, Hula, Poi, and Siva. Teva Oriata is always seeking out opportunities to not only educate the community, but also to learn from and partner with other leaders in the Polynesian community. Through music and dance, Teva Oriata educates the community about the many cultures of Polynesia and shares their stories, legends, and traditions.

Based on the beloved book by Janell Cannon, our rendition of this charming story is full of excitement, adventure, and laughter. Come along as our adorable fruit bat friend, Stellaluna, learns just what it takes to be a bird, a bat, and a friend. This story embraces the differences that make us unique!

Montreal’s Kif-Kif Sisters bring their charming cocktail of funny theater, circus, magic, puppetry and typically French craziness to the VAMF. Inseparable since the womb, these zany, hilarious twins twist and intermingle themselves until the audience is completely confused. They juggle with umbrellas, make French fries at a crazy speed, fight with giant pink monsters and even wear big balloons. This show will touch your heart and your funny bone with its humor and interactivity– and you too will want to do as you please. In this show for all ages, performed more than 700 times around the world,the Kif-Kif Sisters’ Jam Side Up! mixes surprising comedy and audience interaction with enough happiness to make vegetables explode!

+Presented in collaboration with Clark College Foundation

From the group’s foundation until today, the international road taken by Dina y los rumberos has been paved with success in both the United States as well as abroad. With a repertoire that journeys through the best of Cuban and international music such as Cuban son, salsa, guaracha, bolero, merengue and cumbia, among other genres, this talented group possesses such a wide range of interpretative possibilities that they are able to satisfy the most eclectic array of fans. In Cuba, Mexico, and now a large portion of the Great Northwest, fans have swayed to the music and danced to the grooves of their music. All musicians of Dina y los Rumberos are professional musicians graduated from the Music Conservatory in La Habana, Cuba. Led by their musical director Andy Martinez, Dina y los Rumberos win over their crowds with their versatile performances and innovative interpretations. You can’t listen to this group and be indifferent. Instead, you sway, dance and become infected by their hip-moving Caribbean flavor.

Lovingly coined “The Nimble Rogue,” Seattle-based Clown and internationally acclaimed performer Mick Holsbeke has a ravenous appetite for the absurd and ridiculous. His unique perspective on clowning, exuberant physical acting, and circus expertise were developed at the prestigious École Nationale de Cirque de Montréal and, later, at the Hangar des Mines in France. As a Clown & Circus Artist, Mick performed with internationally renowned companies such as the Cirque du Soleil, Teatro Zinzanni, The Seven Fingers, Cirque Plume, and his own solo show Moby Mick, bringing hilarity and comic innovation to hundreds of thousands of spectators around the world. Watch Mick and his Clown Garage family bring their unique brand of unexpected playfulness to Esther Short Park throughout the festival—and when you least expect it.

+Presented in collaboration with Clark College Foundation

Artists Sarah Hunter and Hillary Kent will paint murals live during the main stage performances. Their brush strokes, hands and colors will be inspired directly by the energy of the performance and festival. The murals will showcase uplifting imagery such as natural elements with bright designs and patterns, with the theme of interconnection and the brilliance of community.

The VSO, now in its 46th season, has been a cornerstone of Southwest Washington’s arts community, providing symphonic music of the highest caliber in live performances and through music education in schools, concert halls, and throughout the community.

Keep the good vibes going with Festival After Hours, sponsored by Vancouver’s Downtown Association. On Friday, visit Loowit Brewing (507 Columbia St.) for craft brews and music from Tunahead (rock), Monty Vega & the Sittin’ Shivas (pop/punk), and Midnight Morning (grunge).
Ages 21+

Sarada Kala Nilayam (SKN) (Shaa-ruh-dah Ku-laa nih-lu-yum) is a performing arts organization dedicated to the South Indian classical art forms of Bharatanatyam (bha-ruh-tuh-nattiyam) and Nattuvangam (nut-two-vaan-gum) based out of Beaverton, OR. Under the artistic direction of its founder, Sweta Ravisankar (shh-way-tah ru-vee-sun-ker), SKN has been a returning presence at the Vancouver Arts and Music Festival in both 2023 and 2024. For this year’s festival, SKN has curated a performance specifically designed to engage VAMF’s dynamic and diverse audience.

Friday & Saturday: 10am-8pm
Sunday: 10am-5pm

Explore amazing art vendors and demonstrators throughout the Festival grounds. With fiber arts, ceramics, painting, photography, glassblowing and everything in between, our vendors offer something for every artistic style.

2025 Art Demonstrators and Vendors

• Ana the Artist
• Art by Deborah Nagano
• Art by Hiroko
• Art of Casey Moffett
• Atrum Arte
• Barbara Kay Jewelry
• Beacock
• Bryan Helfrich
• Crimson Koi
• Dory Designed
• Elemental Images Fine Art Photography
• Firehouse Glass
• FISHBONE Pottery
• Hill Yeah! Eco Art Studio
• I’m Into This Place Podcast
• Jim Aul Pottery
• Katie Flack Painted Dots
• Kim Nickens
• Lightly Spiced Gallery
• Linda Lauren Design
• Local Galleries: LaCasita, Art at the Cave, Vancouver arts hub
• Maria Vara Photography
• Northwest Oil Painters Guild
• Old Growth Studio
• Pamela Sue Johnson ART
• PNW Sculptors
• Pop Octopus
• RamrasArt
• Rashmi Patel – Sharp Henna
• Rhythm Art
• School of Rock
• Seiko Originals
• Seterra Design
• Somethin OUTTA Nothin
• Studio Naptime
• The Blind Alley Kat Gallery
• The Crafty Wee Bothy
• Twisted Designs Jewelry
• You’re Doing Great!

Parent’s Choice Award winning kindie band Ants Ants Ants bring their signature harmonies and Beatles-inspired melodic charm to every song in their collection. Songwriters Johnny Clay (The Dimes), Dave Gulick and Nat Johnson (Derby), give stylistic nods to 1970’s era Sesame Street and School House Rock that’s not only for the kids in our lives, but the kids in all of us.

Our Cottage Dance Academy Performance Company gives dancers ages 12-20 the experience of a preparatory dance environment for a future in the dance field. Our company is an invitation-only group led by Artistic Director Chloe Mason. Company members learn and perform a repertoire of classical ballet choreography, as well as original choreography in a variety of dance styles.

We’re Ok Bucko, a Seattle-based rock band making high energy power pop. We like driving cars and listening to The Cars. Ok Bucko makes music that feels like you are talking to your best friend on the phone and folding laundry at the same time. And then you have to put the laundry down and switch to facetime to scream about something together.

Columbia Dance is a non-profit dance school offering classes for ages 3 to adult.  Their mission is to present dance as a life-enhancing experience for their students and their community by setting high artistic standards in classical ballet education and performance, while creating a positive, nurturing, and challenging environment where dance appreciation thrives.  Their focus is on mentoring youth.  They believe wholeheartedly in the positive impact dance has on their students’ lives, both inside and outside of the dance studio.

Folklóric Ballet of SW Washington celebrates heritage, community and cultural education through traditional dances of Mexico.

MANISHA is a Filipino-Indian artist who writes for lovers of lyrics and overthinkers of love. Her theatrical, pop-jazz sound reflects real events in her life like migration from the Philippines to America or falling in love with a pre-med student. She graduated from the Berklee College of Music where she wrote and recorded her debut album “Sweet Unitl the Aftertaste”. MANISHA and her beautiful band have created a fun-filled, tear-soaked show that will most likely get you crying and dancing at the same time.

Artstra is hosting free workshops in the park on Saturday afternoon for people of all experience levels. Themes include Music with UpBeat Music Therapy, Poetry with Clark County Poet Laureate Susan Dingle, and two sessions on Visual Arts with Clark County Open Studios artists.

Bang Bang Experience is a brass and drums ensemble that plays the music of trumpet player Sam Dechenne. Inspired by the sounds of international brass bands and Jazz ensembles, Funk and Reggae horn sections, West African and Latin American drumming, and Western chamber music, their sound is truly their own.

Lao Loun Mai Dance is group of first, second and third-generation Lao-Americans, with dancers as young as 3 and as old as 15. The name means “Lao of the New Generation,” and they’re proud to share our culture through traditional Lao dance, with a modern twist. Laos is a beautiful country in Southeast Asia, known for its rich traditions, graceful music, and vibrant celebrations. Through dance, Lao Loun Mai honors the stories and spirit of their ancestors while also expressing who they are today.

Conjunto Alegre has the largest selection of latin Music in the NW such as Salsa, Bachata, Chachacha, Merengue, Cumbia from the Caribbean Island Cuba, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, but also Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela, Panama, NYC. What makes Alegre

unique is our high energy, connecting with audience of all ages from our 3 front vocalist. We also provide dance instruction before playing and provide education about each music and dance styles.

Montreal’s Kif-Kif Sisters bring their charming cocktail of funny theater, circus, magic, puppetry and typically French craziness to the VAMF. Inseparable since the womb, these zany, hilarious twins twist and intermingle themselves until the audience is completely confused. They juggle with umbrellas, make French fries at a crazy speed, fight with giant pink monsters and even wear big balloons. This show will touch your heart and your funny bone with its humor and interactivity– and you too will want to do as you please. In this show for all ages, performed more than 700 times around the world,the Kif-Kif Sisters’ Jam Side Up! mixes surprising comedy and audience interaction with enough happiness to make vegetables explode!

+Presented in collaboration with Clark College Foundation

Lovingly coined “The Nimble Rogue,” Seattle-based Clown and internationally acclaimed performer Mick Holsbeke has a ravenous appetite for the absurd and ridiculous. His unique perspective on clowning, exuberant physical acting, and circus expertise were developed at the prestigious École Nationale de Cirque de Montréal and, later, at the Hangar des Mines in France. As a Clown & Circus Artist, Mick performed with internationally renowned companies such as the Cirque du Soleil, Teatro Zinzanni, The Seven Fingers, Cirque Plume, and his own solo show Moby Mick, bringing hilarity and comic innovation to hundreds of thousands of spectators around the world. Watch Mick and his Clown Garage family bring their unique brand of unexpected playfulness to Esther Short Park throughout the festival—and when you least expect it.

+Presented in collaboration with Clark College Foundation

Made possible through the Ruthie Keller Community Music Initiative in conjunction with the Keller Foundation, the VSO Youth Virtuosi, USA is made up of 54 all-star student musicians selected from 11 different schools across Southwest Washington school districts. These students will perform alongside GRAMMY award-winning cellist Zuill Bailey under the batons of award-winning maestros Gerard Schwarz and Ken Selden.

The VSO, now in its 46th season, has been a cornerstone of Southwest Washington’s arts community, providing symphonic music of the highest caliber in live performances and through music education in schools, concert halls, and throughout the community.

Keep the good vibes going with Festival After Hours, sponsored by Vancouver’s Downtown Association. On Saturday, visit Brickhouse (109 W. 15th St.) for classic drinks, delicious food and music from Introducing the Machine (americana/folk), Shiloh Mae (indie-folk), Sooth & the Sweet Souls (garage folk), The Tangibles (jazz trio), and Bishop Brown & Mob Rule (hip-hop/rap/beats). Ages 21+

Seth, who lives in Camas, is a classically trained violinist (violist, actually) who fell off the wagon in his mid-20s when he was introduced to the world of bluegrass and playing music by ear. He’s since fiddled for contra dances, played electric fiddle in a rock band, and, since 2008, has been fiddling and singing with the Vancouver (USA)-based bluegrass band “Fadin’ by 9”. He got into live looping 10 years ago after being blown away at a live-looping concert in Portland, first starting small with a simple loop station that somehow, through no fault of his own, expanded to multiple pedal boards and multi-channel loop stations, each new pedal bringing new voices & new ideas for compositions. Some might say it’s too much gear, and Seth the human who hauls all the gear around would 100% agree with you. But as Fiddler on the Loop, he’s a firm believer that there is no such thing as too many guitar pedals.

Montreal’s Kif-Kif Sisters bring their charming cocktail of funny theater, circus, magic, puppetry and typically French craziness to the VAMF. Inseparable since the womb, these zany, hilarious twins twist and intermingle themselves until the audience is completely confused. They juggle with umbrellas, make French fries at a crazy speed, fight with giant pink monsters and even wear big balloons. This show will touch your heart and your funny bone with its humor and interactivity– and you too will want to do as you please. In this show for all ages, performed more than 700 times around the world,the Kif-Kif Sisters’ Jam Side Up! mixes surprising comedy and audience interaction with enough happiness to make vegetables explode!

+Presented in collaboration with Clark College Foundation

Friday & Saturday: 10am-8pm
Sunday: 10am-5pm

Explore amazing art vendors and demonstrators throughout the Festival grounds. With fiber arts, ceramics, painting, photography, glassblowing and everything in between, our vendors offer something for every artistic style.

2025 Art Demonstrators and Vendors

• Ana the Artist
• Art by Deborah Nagano
• Art by Hiroko
• Art of Casey Moffett
• Atrum Arte
• Barbara Kay Jewelry
• Beacock
• Bryan Helfrich
• Crimson Koi
• Dory Designed
• Elemental Images Fine Art Photography
• Firehouse Glass
• FISHBONE Pottery
• Hill Yeah! Eco Art Studio
• I’m Into This Place Podcast
• Jim Aul Pottery
• Katie Flack Painted Dots
• Kim Nickens
• Lightly Spiced Gallery
• Linda Lauren Design
• Local Galleries: LaCasita, Art at the Cave, Vancouver arts hub
• Maria Vara Photography
• Northwest Oil Painters Guild
• Old Growth Studio
• Pamela Sue Johnson ART
• PNW Sculptors
• Pop Octopus
• RamrasArt
• Rashmi Patel – Sharp Henna
• Rhythm Art
• School of Rock
• Seiko Originals
• Seterra Design
• Somethin OUTTA Nothin
• Studio Naptime
• The Blind Alley Kat Gallery
• The Crafty Wee Bothy
• Twisted Designs Jewelry
• You’re Doing Great!

Lovingly coined “The Nimble Rogue,” Seattle-based Clown and internationally acclaimed performer Mick Holsbeke has a ravenous appetite for the absurd and ridiculous. His unique perspective on clowning, exuberant physical acting, and circus expertise were developed at the prestigious École Nationale de Cirque de Montréal and, later, at the Hangar des Mines in France. As a Clown & Circus Artist, Mick performed with internationally renowned companies such as the Cirque du Soleil, Teatro Zinzanni, The Seven Fingers, Cirque Plume, and his own solo show Moby Mick, bringing hilarity and comic innovation to hundreds of thousands of spectators around the world. Watch Mick and his Clown Garage family bring their unique brand of unexpected playfulness to Esther Short Park throughout the festival—and when you least expect it.

+Presented in collaboration with Clark College Foundation

Jazz Rap artist who embodies community.

Established in 1992, The Vietnamese Community of Clark County was created to promote cultural awareness and empower the Vietnamese community. Travel to Vietnam through performances of traditional dance and storytelling.

Vocal and instrumental music, featuring Klezmer groove, Eastern European fiddle virtuosity, raucous multilingual exuberance from Hungary, Poland, Ukraine, Romania, and elsewhere. Bringing together members of Portland’s most exciting ensembles (3 Leg Torso, Blue Cranes, THMPR, Klezmocracy, Portland Klezmer All Stars, Fear No Music) with the Budapest-based Jewish roots band, Di Naye Kapelye. Andrew Ehrlich (violin), Yankl Falk (vocals/clarinet), Ralph Huntley (keyboards), Ji Tanzer (percussion), Courtney Von Drehle (accordion/sax).

Idea The Artist is a Guatemalan-American Orchestral-Indie female singer-songwriter. Her crystalline vocals soar over lush arrangements with captivating lyricism, creating vivid soundscapes rooted in a love of the mythic, triumphant, and bittersweet.

Anavai O Te Ora is Southwest Washington’s only pupu ori or Tahitian dance group. Our name means “The River of Life.” Rooted in tradition and flowing with purpose, Anavai O Te Ora is dedicated to nourishing our future by perpetuating our heritage. Through ‘Ori Tahiti classes and Polynesian performances, we share the richness of Tahitian culture with communities across the Pacific Northwest.

Rooted in the traditions of blues, folk, and Americana, Catalpa June is a four-piece band that captivates audiences with a mix of original songs and eclectic covers. Their rich, organic sound—with soulful melodies, tight harmonies, and the distinctive rhythm of clawhammer banjo—creates an inviting environment where you can unwind and immerse yourself in the music. Led by Rowyn Rose’s charismatic vocals, Jeremiah Lehman’s expressive fingerpicking on guitar, Dwayne Spence’s resonant bass (also of Lincoln’s Beard), and Matt Salsman’s skillful banjo playing, their live shows invite you to soak in the vibe and enjoy a performance that’s refreshingly genuine.

Vancouver Ballet Folklórico is a local non-profit dance group dedicated to preserving and sharing the rich heritage of Mexico through traditional dance. With more than 10 years of history, this group has grown from a dream into a strong and visible part of our community, overcoming challenges, evolving with purpose, and staying true to its mission: to inspire and empower children of Hispanic descent by connecting them to their roots through music, discipline, creativity, and dance. More than just movement, Vancouver Ballet Folklórico offers a meaningful space for learning, growing, and celebrating identity.

The VSO, now in its 46th season, has been a cornerstone of Southwest Washington’s arts community, providing symphonic music of the highest caliber in live performances and through music education in schools, concert halls, and throughout the community.