One of the highlights of living in Pacific Northwest is the vast assortment of Washington festivals and events constantly taking place. In the next few weeks alone, there will be the Bite of Seattle and an immense outdoor exhibition put on by the Bellevue Art Museum. My favorite festivals, however, are those that center on music.

During the summertime, the state plays host to dozens of music events—from the Sasquatch Festival and Bumbershoot, to the Sunbanks Blues Festival. Not only do these festivals feature music artists, but they also typically feature comedians, painters and other artists. No matter what your taste, there is always some world-class entertainment on the horizon.

One of my favorite things about the Pacific Northwest is the way the locals celebrate the natural beauty of summer and early fall each year. There are always a variety of festivals, farmers markets, bazaars, outdoor movie screenings and marathons scheduled to bring the people of the greater Seattle area together as one giant community.

Of all of these social, summer and fall happenings, my absolute favorite is the Rhythm and Blue Festival. Although this event is a bit outside the Seattle area, I still compare it to the rest. Such a comparison actually speaks wonders for the festival in that a rural-area festival can not only compete with, but trump a city one. Four days of toe-tapping music that sooths the soul is always my kind of time. I don’t stand alone in my admiration of this event; people from all over the great state of Washington travel to the Sunbanks Resort area to enjoy the soulful sounds of each R&B band.

Summer is winding down, but one of Washington’s most exciting events is just around the corner. The semi-annual Sunbanks Rhythm & Blues Festival is September 10-13, and you won’t want to miss a full weekend of rockin’ blues! Whether you choose to sit by a campfire, dance by the stage or relax in the lush green grass of the playfield, you’ll wish the good times would never end. Conveniently located at Sunbanks Resort, you can make reservations to camp or stay in a cabin or villa during the festival.

Don’t miss performers like Cee Cee James, Too Slim & the Taildraggers, Ty Curtis Band, Jason Ricci and more from around the state and country at the Sunbanks Rhythm & Blues Festival. Now celebrating its 15th anniversary, this festival has been awarded Best Blues Festival in the Northwest two years in a row! It’s one of the only Eastern Washington festivals you can enjoy twice a year, every year. If you can’t make it this fall, be sure to make your reservations early for the next festival in May.