Soundcheck arts festival set for three days in Port Townsend

Published 1:30 am Wednesday, February 25, 2026

PORT TOWNSEND — The Port Townsend Creative District will host the Soundcheck Art and Music Festival from Friday through Sunday at a variety of venues.

The free, all-ages festival has been organized in partnership with local artists and organizations.

The festival, which is focused on connecting the community through the arts, highlights youth artists and emphasizes hands-on engagement by offering participants a chance to make something together.

“What I’m most excited about is how Soundcheck is focused on celebrating the act of making and all that it does and can entail,” said Michelle Hagewood, an artist who is organizing Sunday’s pop-up maker fair. “This is a festival where the attendees can become the featured artists themselves and experience the magic of creativity alongside one another.”

The three-day festival will kick off at 5 p.m. Friday in the Erickson Building at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds with the presentation of the Port Townsend Art Commission’s Art Awards, followed by a community pasta feed and DJ dance party.

Saturday’s events will be centered in the downtown area with performances at the city council chambers, an artist salon and café and hands-on making in the Creation Station.

Saturday night will see a lineup of local bands at the American Legion Hall.

On Sunday, the festival will move to Fort Worden for a pancake breakfast and walking tour to launch the Port Townsend Public Library’s 2026 Community Read, along with drop-in artist-hosted workshops, including dance, tech, film, poetry and zine making.

Featured activities include:

• Friday in the Erickson Building at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds, 4907 Landes St.:

— Port Townsend Art Awards at 5 p.m.

— Community Pasta Feed with The Kitchen from 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m., $10 suggested donation for adults.

— Mystery Box Dessert Cook-off with the Food Coop from 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.

— Bonfires with The Production Alliance from 6:30 p.m. to 11 p.m.

— “In the Round,” a DJ dance party with Salish Sound, from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.

• Saturday, Creation Station from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Cotton Building, 607 Water St.:

— Community Mural with Park Avenue Studios.

— Photobooth Community Collage with Port Townsend High School A/V Club.

— Button Making Party with Danielle Fodor.

— Beats by the Raptor Rhythm Brigade.

• Saturday, Performances for the People, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. in council chambers at city hall, 540 Water St.:

— Leila Block: Jazz, Blues and NPR News.

— Port Townsend Poet Laureate Rufina C. Garay.

— Port Townsend Youth Theatre Ensemble.

— Tex Armstrong.

— Boiler Room String Band.

• Saturday, Artist Salon, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Velocity Coffee, 431 Water St.:

— With Alexandra Anagnostopoulos and Drea DiPrete.

• Saturday, All Original, All Local Music Concert, from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. at the American Legion Hall, 209 Monroe St.:

— Port Townsend Original Music Society featuring Wizard, Brother Townsend, Lowire and the Chloroform Rags.

• Sunday, at Fort Worden Historical State Park, 200 Battery Way:

— 2026 Community Read Pancake Breakfast Kickoff, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the Commons.

— Self-Guided Community Read Kickoff Walking Tour, from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

• Sunday, Artist-Hosted Workshops and Demonstrations, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Fort Worden Buildings 305, 306, 310 and 315:

— Free Flow Dance Funk with Mary Purdy.

— Pop-up maker fair and demonstration with Michelle Hagewood.

— “Landing Flying Fish” mixed-media poetry workshop with Poet Laureate Rufina C. Garay.

— Collage/Zine Time with Northwind Art.

— Film pop-up with the Port Townsend Film Festival.

— An open house at Rainshadow Recording Studio.

For more information, visit www.ptcreativedistrict.org/soundcheck.