RICHLAND — The Chautauqua Music Festival is coming to Richland in May, but first up is the third-annual Micro Chautauqua to support the main event.

This family-friendly fundraiser is happening Saturday, March 23 at the Eagle Valley Grange. Doors open at 5 p.m. and entry is $5, or free for children ages 12 and younger.

There will be a silent auction and a taco bar served by the grange.

Live music will be provided by Slapjack Casualty, a local family band that plays Americana tunes. Their repertoire includes bluegrass, western, country and more.

Brian Mandella is their finger-picking, singing, guitar-playing lead, who along with Bruce Howard and Sierra Howard, really know how to play to a crowd.

The Locals will also be playing and there will be an open mic again this year. Quite a few in the community have already signed up to participate — open mic sets are limited to 10 minutes. To sign up, call Aline Murray at 541-377-5545.

Sara Artley, organizer of the music festival, said donations are welcome for the silent and live auctions.

“As with all good things, the Chautauqua Music Festival is for the community and it is the community who is also very much needed to help make it happen,” Artley said. “The committee would genuinely appreciate donations to include in their live and silent auctions. We are asking for handmade items, crafts, artsy or new items as well as vintage and collectibles in keeping with the theme like that of the Chautauqua.”

Artley has donated her year’s supply of pies but this year she’s spinning it a little differently. Instead of a pie a month, she will give the winner of the bid 12 tickets that can be redeemed one at a time, a couple at a time or all 12 at once.

A few donations for the auction and raffles have already come in including the gravel, and labor donation that was so popular last year.

Information

For information, or to donate items for the auctions, call Murray at 541-377-5545 or Artley at 406-579-7894.

The Chautauqua Music Festival will happen May 17-19 in Richland. Special “early bird” tickets are on sale now at chautauquamusicfestival.com.

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