Southern Oregon's summer arts calendar is filled with concerts, theater and festivals, but many of this season's events invite audiences to do more than watch.
From riding a chairlift to a mountaintop concert to sharing poetry at an open mic or offering feedback on a new play, JPR arts reporter Vanessa Finney and JPR music host Dave Jackson highlighted events that encourage participation alongside performance.
Experience the outdoors in a new way
Alpine Music Festival
$30-$60 | July 25-26 | Mount Ashland
Mount Ashland will host its inaugural Alpine Music Festival with two days of live music featuring 12 regional artists performing on two stages.
One stage will be outside the Karen and Sid DeBoer Lodge, while the second is accessible by chairlift.
The festival also includes a lecture on Mount Ashland's history and screenings of the documentary short Universal Language, which explores accessibility in outdoor recreation.
Marketing manager Gabby Collins said the festival offers an experience that's uncommon in Southern Oregon.
"It's not very often that people get to experience a summer concert at 6,500 feet with cooler temperatures and many times above the smoke zone," she said.
Coming up at Mount Ashland
The festival begins a full summer and fall schedule at the mountain. August includes drive-in movie nights featuring "E.T.," "Mary Poppins," "Night of the Living Dead" and "The Goonies."
Oktoberfest is scheduled for Sept. 19, followed by Haunting on Mount Ashland in October.
Become part of the creative process
Poeticon II
July 31 | Hermeticus Bookshop and Beat Farm Co-op | Ashland
The William Blake Institute's second annual Poeticon brings together poets, musicians and visual artists for an evening of performances, featured artists and open mics. The event begins at Hermeticus Bookshop before continuing at Beat Farm Co-op, giving audiences multiple opportunities to listen, perform and connect with local artists.
"It's an evening celebrating the power of the spoken word and interdisciplinary creativity," Finney said
Music Oregon Listening Session
Free | July 30, 5:30-7 p.m. | Online
Music Oregon is wrapping up its statewide listening tour with a virtual session for musicians, venue operators, promoters, educators and others working in the music industry.
"This is a chance to put your two cents in on what you think could make our our local music system thrive," Finney said.
Participants can share ideas about everything from supporting local artists to strengthening venues across Oregon. Those who can't attend can still contribute through an online survey.
The Loop: Lab and New Work Festival
Aug. 7-10 | The Hivve | Grants Pass
The Loop: Lab and New Work Festival flips the traditional theater model on its head. Rather than producing familiar Broadway shows, the festival develops brand-new plays and musicals written specifically for young performers.
Audience members don't simply watch staged readings—they become part of the creative process through guided talkback sessions that help playwrights revise their work before it reaches a wider audience.
Festival director Julia Cuppy said the idea grew from years of teaching theater and realizing many school productions ask teenagers to portray adult lives and experiences.
"It's hard to watch a 15-year-old Willy Loman," she said, referring to the middle-aged salesman at the center of Arthur Miller's "Death of a Salesman"
Instead, Loop Fest starts by asking what stories young performers actually want and need to tell. Cuppy said the festival works closely with playwrights throughout the development process while also considering what resonates with local audiences.
The result is a collaborative festival where writers, performers and audiences all play a role in shaping new theater.
See a show
Cowboy Poetry and Western Music
Free | July 24 | Riverbend Live | Winston
Riverbend Live's annual Cowboy Poetry and Western Music event celebrates the traditions of the American West through storytelling, poetry and music.
Dave Jackson highlighted performer Dakota Robinson, who's worked on ranches.
"He's a real live cowboy, and now he shoes horses," Jackson said. "He says it's to support his poetry habit, because there's no money in poetry."
Into the Woods
Free | July 30-Aug. 1 | Riverbend Live | Winston
Riverbend Live Youth Theater presents Stephen Sondheim's "Into the Woods," weaving together characters from classic fairy tales.
John Beeson: An Indian Advocate
$20 | July 25, 7 p.m. | Meese Auditorium, Southern Oregon University
Playwright Joe Charter's latest work tells the story of John Beeson, a Talent pioneer who opposed the treatment of Native Americans during the Rogue Indian Wars. After leaving Southern Oregon, Beeson continued advocating for Native rights through his writing and by lobbying Congress. Proceeds from the staged reading will support scholarships for Native American students at Southern Oregon University.
Finney described Beeson as "one of the first true anti-racists."
Hear live music
Music on the Half Shell
Free | Tuesdays | Stewart Park | Roseburg
Roseburg's free Music on the Half Shell series continues with blues-rock guitarist Garrett T. Willie before welcoming 19-year-old Bella Rayne, who is preparing to release her first original single.
Jackson said the series showcases many of the regional musicians performing throughout Southern Oregon this summer.
Guests
- Vanessa Finney, JPR Arts reporter, host of The Creative Way and My Better Half
- Dave Jackson, music curator, host of Open Air, JPR Rhythm and News Service
