Text and Photos by Gaby Deimeke
The second annual Cascade Equinox Music Festival took place at the Deschutes County Fairground this past weekend in front of a gorgeous mountainous backdrop in Redmond, Oregon. The independent festival was named for the Autumn Equinox that occurred on Sunday, and hosted an eclectic roster of musical acts and performances over the three-day camping event.
On Friday, Justin Jay got the indoor Tilt stage going with his groovy tunes and lasers, followed by the big band dance party High Step Society which was the perfect jazz moment during sunset. On the main stage, swamptronica experimental band Dirtwire and French musician Clozee dropped beats and trippy visuals, with electro-soul and hip hop producer Daily Bread closing out the first night of Cascade Equinox. Temps dropped to the lowest of the weekend by late into the night, at a chilly 38 degrees for those camping on-site. Luckily, the late-night sets were all indoors, so attendees could keep warm while dancing into the early morning.
One of the first sets on Saturday afternoon was Fractal, a local jam band that played a didgeridoo instrument during their set. Fans danced and moved to flow fans as well as relaxed along the river, enjoying the sunny rays of light, and took photos with the many graffiti walls that local artists had created.
The Cosmic Drip, a mind-bending indoor stage, provided a diverse array of festival art, including an interactive fluffy “cloud” that attendees could lay down on to relax, and a Chinese herbal tea station with a tea experience for attendees to set an intention and sit and share stories with one another.
Musical highlights of Saturday night included sets from bass and dub artist Barclay Crenshaw, dance and drops from Liquid Stranger, funk duo The Floozies and a more vibey, chilled Late Night Radio set.
Various interesting activations and events went throughout the weekend in addition to the music, from light activations, a dance mediation, acro yoga, energy theory, breathwork workshops, tye dying, freestyle painting, flow arts, and a journaling workshop. The festival was very focused on providing activities for attendees that helped them connect to their inner self and focused on being present and enjoying themselves.
The Festival Babes hosted a bubble-filled and super fun meetup for female ravers, giving them a safe space to connect and dance together. There were live painting mural artists, glassblowing artists, and lots of festival themed vendors to shop with, from custom resin pinecone necklaces to crystals to giant rainbow fur coats to rave leggings and handmade hemp bucket hats.
Sunday was jam packed with great sets, from a crazy Marc Rebillet performing in his underwear and bringing fans on stage to help him make totally improvised songs to the incredible 90’s British electronic band Jungle closing out the weekend. It was another successful and music-filled year at Cascade Equinox!
