Mudfort. Snowfort. Windfort. Lovefort.

The Treefort Music Fest had it all this year. To understand, you had to be there. While the music took center stage, the weather was a strong supporting act. From big snowflakes falling sideways to furtive appearances by the sun, the climate was on full display surprising attendees and performers alike.

New Feel. New Venue.

With the growth Boise has seen, Treefort’s former base of ten years in west downtown is being replaced by an apartment complex and a hotel. Growth has been the main storyline for this capital city for several years now. Organizations like Keep Boise kind.™ spotlight the growth and its impacts, especially in areas of housing, homelessness and transportation.

With Boise placed on the national map, so too, is Treefort and the new venue at Julia Davis Park along the Boise River was kind of a big deal. Nobody knew what to expect.

Bryce Glenn, a Treefort aficionado, has never missed the festival. Here’s his take on this year’s vibe and venue:

I didn't mind Julia Davis Park as the new primary site -- especially how the Main Stage, Hideout and Bandshell were in close proximity and allowed beverage transport between them. It just would have been nice if the temperature could have been even 10 degrees warmer on average. That had to be the coldest and wettest Treefort yet.

But the park is also just far enough away from the downtown sites that I bet a lot of park-goers were discouraged from going to other venues, which is too bad because that's where most of the local bands not named Built to Spill play.

And the local scene is better than I've ever seen it with newer bands like Papas and Blix. And Spoon Benders. They're actually from Portland, but they come here so much that I almost think of them as a local band. They play three or four shows every Treefort, so if you haven't seen them yet, that's on you.

On the plus side, Treefort Music Hall was spectacular. So much space. The lighting was top of the line. And the brand-new restrooms didn't hurt either. It was nice to get away from the port-a-pottys occasionally. 

So I guess I think a downtown Main Stage is still ideal, but that's probably not going to happen. Unless Treefort could buy some land -- or somehow get permission to use the park in front of the Capitol building. Which is probably about as likely as Democrats ever being a majority party in Idaho.

Music & The Forts.

Treefort has come a long way from its inaugural event in March of 2012, featuring four days of 137 bands and 3,000 attendees. Treefort 2023 is vastly different, boasting more than 60 venues, over 450 bands, and 700+ events happening over five days. With more bands, sounds, flavors and events than anyone can wrap their heads around, the music fest has proven to be well-received by most and is now a fixture in the Boise ethos. A couple of personal highlights this year: The Heavy, Heavy, laughing with comedian Tig Notaro at the Egyptian Theater and the absolute frenzy when everyone found out Aaron Paul, an Idaho native, and Bryan Cranston would be gracing downtown, promoting their new Mezcal at a few locations.

Pictures, People & Community.

Regardless of the weather, Treefort delivered. While no one can capture every angle of the music fest, our talented photographer, Greg Homolka, caught a representative sample — and, we love what we see. We hope you do, too. Sit back, put the screen on full size, and relive Treefort 2023.