Railroad Square welcomes back free music festival

Several things make Santa Rosa’s Railroad Square Music Festival stand out. First of all, it’s free. Second, it features only local and regional acts, some of them getting their first major exposure. Third, the entire festival runs on solar-powered generators.

And it’s free. Don’t overlook that.

Founded in 2015 and last held live in 2019, before the COVID-19 shutdown, the festival returns for its sixth celebration Sunday, June 12, with more than 20 bands performing, and food, wine and beer available to buy.

It opens at noon and runs until 7:30 p.m., but you might want to get there early. In 2019, the outdoor event drew 6,000 people.

“A lot of music festivals cost money to go to, and that makes it exclusive. We want an inclusive event,” said the event’s production director, Susie Dugan.

The emphasis on showcasing local talent is just as important, she added.

“We don’t bring in headliners. We use local musicians,” Dugan said. “The whole focus is to shine a light on the North Bay.”

While other festivals may focus on country music or folk, the Railroad Square Music Festival is deliberately eclectic.

“What makes it special is there’s more of a focus on diversity,” said the event’s marketing director, Bryce Dow-Williamson. “There are more female acts and more people of color, as well as various genres of music.”

This year’s performers include Oakland-Guerneville hip-hop artist Kayatta, as well as Latino bands Tamborazo Santo Domingo and La Agencia. There’ll also be rap, rock, folk, Americana and even children’s music.

“We’re bringing in segments of Sonoma County that are not always fully appreciated,” Dow-Williamson said

Nearly all of the acts this year are new to the Railroad Square fest, said the festival’s director, Josh Windmiller, although some familiar longtime favorites will return, including the local rockers Kingsborough.

“In Santa Rosa, we have so much outside talent coming in,” Dow-Williamson said. “We try to create one special day for these local artists who are playing all in small venues or at house parties. It’s not easy to survive in this county as an artist.”

“It’s a maelstrom out there,” Windmiller added.

Scheduled acts include Burrows & Dilbeck, Bad Thoughts, The Happys, Echolyptus, The Spindles, Jade Brodie, Van Goat, Erica Ambrin, Simoné Mosely, 3 Acre Holler, iX Confidence, Crumb Dread, Thrown Out Bones, D.square and Tai Shan. Opening the day will be student bands from Play It Forward Music Foundation.

The free event relies on a volunteer staff and local sponsors. This year’s sponsors are the city of Santa Rosa, HenHouse Brewing Co., Rodney Strong Vineyards, SOMO Village, Stanroy Music Center, Santa Rosa Metro Chamber, Jane Dispensary, Sonoma County, Mechanics Bank, Global Disaster Solutions, Prairie Sun Live, Recology and Chops Teen Center.

The Railroad Square Music Festival is a project of The Lost Church performance space in downtown Santa Rosa.

“It’s not like a big festival like Coachella, where you post on Instagram to show how hard you can party,” Dow-Williamson said. “Here, you’re going out to see your neighbors.”

You can reach Staff Writer Dan Taylor at dan.taylor@pressdemocrat.com or 707-521-5243. On Twitter @danarts.