The valley has reached the part of June where the question isn't whether there's live music tonight — it's which winery lawn you want to hear it from. But two bigger things anchor the next two weeks, and they bookend the valley nicely.
The bluegrass keeps coming back
The Wenatchee River Bluegrass Festival sets up at the Chelan County Expo Center with dates on Sunday the 14th and again Friday the 19th. If banjos aren't your speed, the Numerica Performing Arts Center counters on the 19th with The Shark Is Broken — the backstage-of-Jaws play, and the closest thing to a proper theater night the fortnight offers.
Leavenworth does Leavenworth things
The town's summer ritual is back: AlpenFolk plays the Front Street gazebo Friday evenings and Sunday afternoons, free, and the Leavenworth Alphorns sound off Saturdays at five. Village Art in the Park runs Fridays and Saturdays at Front Street Park, as it has for decades. Stack those with the Saturday community farmers market at Lions Club Park and you can build an entire free day downtown before the first bratwurst. Mark June 25 too — the Leavenworth International Accordion Celebration starts that Thursday.
The winery circuit, briefly
Thursdays belong to Tipsy Canyon (Whisky Trail on the 11th, the Nick Mardon Trio on the 18th, Bell Bottom Blues on the 25th — all free). Benson Vineyards holds down Friday afternoons, Circle 5 has something most nights it's open — including a free School's Out Party with Given to Fly on the 12th — and Tsillan Cellars does Monday afternoons. On the 20th, Rocky Pond's Leavenworth tasting room hosts the Bad Moon Riders, a CCR tribute, while Icicle Creek Center for the Arts gets Benjamin Jay Thomas the same night.
One loud Saturday: June 20
That Saturday is the valley showing all its faces at once. Wenatchee Pride Fest takes over downtown. Plaza Wenatchee hosts Vaqueros Musical with Chuy Navarro y Más in the afternoon. Up the lake, Lake Chelan Winery throws its 18th annual Falling Cow Country Wine Festival. And the Alphorns still play at five, because some things are not moved.
If you like it louder and later
Rob Leines brings his act to The Outskirts Brewing Co. Thursday the 11th, Nim Vind plays Wally's Tavern late Saturday the 13th, and Wandering Soul plays Mission Ridge that same evening — about as close to a mountain show as the valley gets this month.
The markets, for completeness: Wenatchee Valley Farmers Market Wednesdays and Saturdays, the Chelan Evening Farmers Market Thursdays at two, and Lake Chelan's Saturday market at the painfully early hour of seven. Free, all of them, and the people-watching is included.