Join Washington’s newest certified creative district, the Bainbridge Creative District (BCD), as it hosts its inaugural BRIDGE FESTIVAL at the city’s picturesque Waterfront Park from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on September 10th!

The all-day festival will feature multiple stages with live music, performing arts, dance, and artist, quilt, and artisan craft booths. There will be food vendors, a wine bar, a beer garden, interactive art activities for kids, and more. Arts & Humanities Bainbridge (AHB) and the City of Bainbridge Island will also be announcing Bainbridge Island’s first Poet Laureate. 

“The island’s remarkable creative culture and economy is its beating heart,” said Inez Maubane Jones, Executive Director of AHB and co-chair of the Bainbridge Creative District, “The BRIDGE FESTIVAL is a day to showcase the incredible and prolific talent and celebrate with friends, neighbors, and visitors. It is not an event to miss.” 

Soul musician David A. Tobin, from Germany, will headline the event on the main stage. Regional musical guests in the lineup include the Jenny Davis Jazz Quintet, country and blues musicians Betsy and the Boys, and tequila funk band Reposado. Seattle-based vibe creator Deejay Hershe will DJ as well. 

The dance stage will showcase classical Indian dancing, UV Performing Arts, Bainbridge Dance Center, Beat poetry readings by the Kitsap Black Student Union, international singer Stephanie Reese, the Bainbridge High School Marching Band, rapper Mackrayz, and more. 

Interactive kids activities, such as a jam board all-day mural project, will be provided by Scrappy Art Lab and KiDiMu, the Kids Discovery Museum. 

SMASH, Bainbridge Pride, Lynwood Cinemas Podcast, the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art, Bainbridge Island Historical Museum, and Bainbridge Performing Arts, among other creatives and organizations, will also have booths at the festival.

Local food vendors, serving an array of international cuisines, are booked to serve the crowds: Sauced is the original Filipino Fusion food truck of Kitsap county, serving up traditional Filipino dishes with a Mexican twist; Emma & Otto’s is a Bainbridge Island-based, women-owned, multigenerational family business that makes amazing ice cream served in waffle cones; One Two Kai catering, run by chef Kaafi Tuinukuafe from the Tonga islands, specializes in seafood, barbeque and sourdough pizzas; and Aunt Dolly’s will bring some of West Africa’s most savory dishes.

Arts & Humanities Bainbridge along with its partner organizations in the BCD – Bainbridge Island Chamber of Commerce, Bainbridge Island Downtown Association, Visit Bainbridge Island, Bainbridge Island Museum of Art, the BISD Multicultural Advisory Council, The Bainbridge Island Lodging & Hospitality Association, the Bainbridge Island Japanese American Community, and Andrew Joslyn Music  – are hosting the festival.

“The BRIDGE FESTIVAL will not only celebrate our recent accreditation as a creative district, but it will showcase the vitality of our arts community and inspire advocacy for it, so that the island remains a thriving place to live, work, and visit,” said Stefan Goldby, President & CEO of the Bainbridge Island Chamber of Commerce and co-chair of the Bainbridge Creative District.

More information and updates about the Bridge Festival: Experience the Bainbridge Creative District can be found here: https://www.bainbridgecurrents.com/bainbridge-creative-district/