Jam on the River Festival a showcase for fun at Ferndale’s Riverwalk Park
Ferndale Chamber of Commerce hosted the second annual Jam on the River Festival at Centennial Riverwalk Park on Saturday, Aug. 27.
The daylong music festival featured local artists, vendors, food trucks and family activities. The festival started as the Ferndale Street Festival that ran along Main Street but has changed because of the COVID pandemic and accessibility.
“The riverwalk was made in 2009, but had not been utilized to its full capacity,” Executive Director Anya Milton said at the festival. “Moving the festival to the riverwalk was a way for the Ferndale Chamber of Commerce to activate the space.”
Milton said this year is somewhat of a recovery for the festival.
“This would have been the 19th year of the festival if it weren’t for the pandemic,” Milton said. “Ferndale has been growing quickly so we moved off of Main Street.”
Since the festival changed locations, the name was changed, but Milton said that’s not the only reason. Jam on the River is a play on words because the Nooksack River used to be so jammed with logs that Ferndale was originally named Jam, Milton said.
“Vendors struggled a lot through the pandemic as well,” Milton said. “We have a strong 30 vendors instead of the 100 we usually get, but we’re still doing well.”
Ferndale Chamber of Commerce held the festival last year with small concerts throughout the day for four weeks as a slow introduction after the pandemic.
Programs and Events Manager Andrew Welch said he is very proud of the festival this year and hopes for it to continue growing and improving.
“We want more vendors and maybe a second stage down by the fountain,” Milton added.
Milton and Welch said they enjoy putting this festival together so it can be a welcoming space for all.
“There’s lots of new faces and we want to create a place where everyone belongs,” Milton said. “We want to create a wave of positivity in Ferndale.”
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