Downtown Ridgefield will be packed with creativity starting Aug. 30, with the city's first-ever Live and Local music festival and the opening of the Reflections art exhibit at the Ridgefield Community Library.
Ridgefield Live and Local
Downtown Ridgefield will come alive with music on Saturday, Aug. 30, as local bar owners host their first-ever Ridgefield Live and Local, a free community music festival stretching across two downtown venues: Ridgefield Wine Bar and Ridgefield Craft Brewing.
The event runs from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. with a lineup featuring solo acts, full bands and an all-artist jam session to close out the night.
Mandy Nash, owner of Ridgefield Wine Bar, said the idea grew out of her passion for music and desire to bring more activity downtown.
"We've been open for about a year … I just wanted to turn my interest in wine into something that I am passionately doing for work," she said.
Nash said creating a community festival felt like the right fit. She said she often brings artists to the Ridgefield Wine Bar's local patio to play music.
"We thought that it would be fun to create an event where multiple artists are downtown playing on two stages in two places, just to try to bring more people down to the community," she said.
Organizers tied the event to Northwest Battle Buddies, a nonprofit that provides service dogs to veterans. Donations collected during the festival will support the organization, while sponsorships will help cover artist payments.
Michael Hamilton, Nash's partner and a local guitarist, said the mission resonated with his own experience. Hamilton spent 20 years in active duty in the Marine Corps, deployed around the world many times, including Iraq and Afghanistan.
"The mental health piece is a big issue for me. I think just like a lot of veterans, especially those that have been in as long as me, we kind of lose count of how many people that we've lost so, by them providing the dogs free of service to the veterans, I think it's incredible," Hamilton said.
Hamilton, who plays in the acoustic duo Acoustic Ridge, said the event showcases talent that people might not realize exists.
"I think it's important for me to tell everybody that you don't have to go spend $150 on a huge ticket at some stadium and sit 100 yards away to see some amazing musicians," Hamilton said. "We have some phenomenal musicians in the area."
He said the final jam session, where multiple artists from different bands will take the stage together, is a highlight.
"That'll be pretty amazing because you're never gonna see that again unless we do this again next year," he said.
Ridgefield Wine Bar is located on 112 N Main Ave, and Ridgefield Craft Brewing can be found at 120 N 3rd Ave.
Show schedule
Ridgefield Wine Bar
3 p.m.: Kiley Jeanne
4 p.m.: Barbara Myers
5 p.m.: Wild Embers
6 p.m.: Dan Dingman
7 p.m.: Avi Haviv
Ridgefield Craft Brewing
3 p.m.: Brandy Lyn Ross
4 p.m.: The Low Keys
5:30 p.m.: Brenna Larsen
6:45 p.m.: Acoustic Ridge
8:15 p.m.: Imposter Syndrome
9:30 p.m.: Live & Local Jam (featuring Imposter Syndrome, The Low Keys, Acoustic Ridge and more in a collaborative set)
Reflections exhibit opens at Ridgefield library
The Ridgefield Art Association will launch its latest community show, Reflections, on Friday, Aug. 30 at the Ridgefield Community Library, 210 N. Main Ave. The exhibit runs through Oct. 23 with a public artists reception scheduled Aug. 30 from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.
Mediums on display vary widely, from watercolor and acrylics to pastels and other two-dimensional works that can be framed and hung.
"It's just exposure, acceptance, the excitement of seeing what you've worked so hard on in public display to get other people's input," Maureen O'Reilly of Ridgefield Art Association said. "It's very validating, especially when you sell a piece and you're a beginner. It's just a very feel-good opportunity."
The exhibit will be followed in November by the association's annual awards art show, a judged competition with cash prizes for best of show and other categories.
Among this year's contributors is Ridgefield author Merrilee Asla Lee, who recently published a children's picture book. She will display The Sky Was Filled With Stars, a mixed media on metal piece also featured in her book. Readers can learn more about her work on page A2.
