Vancouver Arts & Music Festival Announces 2025 Programming and Festival Expansion

The dynamic four-day celebration of the arts takes place July 31–August 3 in Esther Short Park and Downtown Vancouver

Renée Fleming, Tito Puente, Jr., Sharon Isbin, and more to perform at Vancouver’s premier summer arts festival

Artwork and photos are here

Vancouver, WA (June 17, 2025) — World-renowned soprano Renée Fleming, Americana stars Mark & Maggie O’Connor, Latin jazz sensation Tito Puente, Jr. and his Orchestra, Inuit-soul group Pamyua, the acrobatics and comedy duo the Kif-Kif Sisters, and the playful pop-up ensemble Clown Garage are just some of stars performing at the award-winning 2025 Vancouver Arts & Music Festival (VAMF). Presented by The City of Vancouver and the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra USA, the multidisciplinary arts festival, free and for all-ages, takes place July 31 through August 3 this year, and promises to be a joyful celebration of community through the shared experience of the arts.

Launched in 2023 as a partnership between Vancouver Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services and the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra USA, the festival has quickly become a signature summer event in Southwest Washington. Just this month, the festival received the Spotlight Award for “Best Special Event” from the Washington Recreation and Parks Association. The four-day festival brings together top talent from the Pacific Northwest and around the globe to perform and share dance, art, poetry, theatre, crafts, and music.

“The Vancouver Arts & Music Festival is a wonderful celebration of our city’s creativity and talent” says Stacey Donovan, Cultural Services Manager of the City of Vancouver. “Every year, tens of thousands of people come together for a free weekend filled with music, dance, art, and fun for all ages. It’s a great example of how our community values the arts—from local businesses that support cultural events to residents who show up and celebrate the power of creativity.”

For the first time, VAMF kicks off with a Thursday night opening concert (July 31) in Esther Short Park with featured performances presented by Programming Collaborator Clark College Foundation. The evening features performances designed to keep you dancing. First up is acclaimed Inuit soul band Pamyua, from Alaska, which blends traditional drum dancing (and songs of the Yup’ik) with African-American influences like gospel, R&B, jazz and funk to create a brand-new style that Native People Magazine calls “a blizzard of interlocking harmonies.” Immediately following, national touring sensation Tito Puente, Jr. & his Latin Jazz Orchestra take the stage to bring you the music of legend Tito Puente (including his iconic “Oye Como Va”) with their signature infectious energy and virtuosic percussion. Bring your dancing shoes!

“Clark College Foundation is proud to spotlight Clark College’s leadership in arts and culture through this bold new collaboration,” says Calen Ouellette, CEO, Clark College Foundation. “By connecting local and global artists with our community, we’re amplifying creativity, access, and the vibrant cultural spirit of Clark County.”

On Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evenings, the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra USA, under the baton of Maestros Salvador Brotons and Gerard Schwarz, will present stunning concerts with featured soloists. On Friday, August 1, Mark & Maggie O’Connor perform two of Mark O’Connor’s original concertos with the orchestra. On Saturday, August 2, Renée Fleming sings beloved arias and songs, from Puccini to Rodgers & Hammerstein. On Sunday, August 3, Sharon Isbin debuts Karen LeFrak’s Miami Concerto for Guitar and Orchestra (Northwest premiere). Saturday’s program includes a special pre-concert performance by the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra Youth Virtuosi USA, made possible through the Ruthie Keller Community Music Initiative in conjunction with the Keller Foundation. The select ensemble includes 54 students from 11 Southwest Washington schools, conducted by Maestros Schwarz and Ken Selden and joined by GRAMMY-winning cellist Zuill Bailey.

“This year’s concerts are going to be magnificent. Collaborating with world-class artists and our next generation of musicians against the stunning scenery of Esther Short Park is a highlight of our season,” says Dr. Igor Shakhman, the orchestra’s Chief Executive Officer. “This festival also highlights an exciting chapter in the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra’s artistic growth and leadership role in the community.”

Throughout the weekend, festivalgoers will enjoy a vibrant tapestry of cultural experiences. There will be a juried art exhibit at the Hilton, curated by multidisciplinary artist Sharon Svec. Innovative circus and physical theatre projects curated by Clark College Foundation’s Director of Arts Programming, Partnerships, & Philanthropy, Ruth Juliet Wikler include the U.S. premiere of globally acclaimed Quebec comedic clown duo The Kif-Kif Sisters as well as unexpected antics by Seattle-based Clown Garage, featuring a Grammy award winner, a performer with Cirque du Soleil, and others. Three outdoor stages will feature a wide variety of music and dance performances—rock, folk, jazz, soul, Cajun, salsa, poetry, circus arts, and more.

There will also be interactive art installations, demonstrations, pop-up galleries, and lawn games. Family day, on Friday, promises a full day of creative fun, music and excitement designed for young people who can enjoy roving performers and magicians, free face painting and a pop-up children’s museum with Columbia Play Project. Following Mark & Maggie’s performance with the VSO-USA, on Friday, August 1, there will be an outdoor screening of the movie Coco. The celebration extends every evening after the festival closes with “Festival After Hours,” featuring local bands at downtown venues in partnership with the Vancouver Downtown Association.

Volunteers are essential to the festival’s success! People ages 16 are invited to sign up now to help with setup, artist support, logistics, and more. Visit vancouverartsandmusicfestival.com to get involved.

Stage lineups are subject to change without notice. Visit  vancouverartsandmusicfestival.com for updates or follow the festival on Instagram at @vancouverartsmusicfest.

 

2025 Vancouver USA Music and Arts Festival

—Thursday, July 31—

Indicates artists presented in collaboration with Clark College Foundation

Main Stage 

Performances presented by Clark College Foundation  

• 5 p.m. Welcome and Festival kickoff
• 6 p.m. Pamyua (Inuit soul)
• 8 p.m. Tito Puente, Jr. & His Orchestra (Latin jazz)

 

—Friday, Aug. 1— 

Family Day: a full day of creative fun, music and excitement designed for kids, including roving performers and magicians, free face painting, story time, and a pop-up children’s museum with Columbia Play Project.

10 a.m. to 7 p.m.: Juried Art Exhibit at the Hilton

Indicates artists presented in collaboration with Clark College Foundation

Dance Stage (10 a.m. to 5 p.m.) 

• 11 a.m. Yeates Academy of Irish Dance 
• 1 p.m. Shaun Keylock 
• 2 p.m. Teva Oriata Polynesian Dance Troupe 
• 3:30 p.m.  The Kif-Kif Sisters (comedy, theater and circus arts)

Music Stage (10 a.m. to 5 p.m.) 

• 10 a.m. Too Loose Cajun/Zydeco Band 
• 11 a.m. School of Rock Vancouver House Band 
• 12 p.m. WOETOJOY Contra Dance Band, Caller Bex Bee 
• 1 p.m. Sweet ‘N’ Juicy (funk/rock/soul)
• 2 p.m. Skamokawa Swamp Opera (eclectic folk)
• 4 p.m. Dina y los Rumberos (Cuban/Caribbean)

Main Stage 

• 6 – 6:30 p.m. Clark County Little Band (jazz combo)
• 7 p.m. Mark and Maggie O’Connor with the Vancouver Symphony 

Orchestra USA. Maestro Salvador Brotons conducts.

• O’Connor: The Improvised Violin Concerto 
• O’Connor: Double Violin Concerto for two violins and symphony orchestra
• Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5 in E minor, Op. 64

After the concert: Watch Disney’s Coco (PG) under the stars, sponsored by Riverview Bank.

 

—Saturday, Aug. 2— 

10 a.m. to 7 p.m.: Juried Art Exhibit at the Hilton

Indicates artists presented in collaboration with Clark College Foundation

Dance Stage (10 a.m. to 5 p.m.) 

• 10 a.m. Sarada Kala Nilayam (bharatanatyam Indian dance)
• 11 a.m. Cottage Dance Academy (contemporary dance)
• 12 p.m. Columbia Dance (classical youth ballet)
• 1 p.m. Ballet Folklórico of SW Washington 
• 2 p.m. Lao Loun Mai (Lao-American youth dance)  
• 3:30 p.m.  The Kif-Kif Sisters (comedy, theater and circus arts)

Music Stage (10 a.m. to 5 p.m.) 

• 10 a.m. Ants Ants Ants (fun and fanciful family rock)
• 11 a.m. OK Bucko (indie rock)
• 1 p.m. MANISHA (pop-jazz) 
• 2 p.m. Bang Bang (brass funk) 
• 3 p.m. Conjunto Alegre Latin Orchestra 

Saturday Afternoon Workshops with ARTSTRA

• Music with UpBeat Music 
• Poetry with Susan Dingle 
• Visual Arts with Clark County Open Studio Artists

Main Stage 

• 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. 

VSO Youth Virtuosi, USA with cellist Zuill Bailey and conductors Ken Selden and Gerard Schwarz 

• Saint-Saëns: Cello Concerto No.1 
• Beethoven: Symphony No. 7 (movt. 2 and 4) 

• 7 p.m. Soprano Renée Fleming with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra USA. 

Maestro Gerard Schwarz conducts a program of beloved songs and arias from Puccini to Rodgers & Hammerstein, and audience favorite orchestral masterworks.

Intermission featuring a spoken word and dance collaboration from Clark County Poet Laureate Susan Dingle and dancer/choreographer Olga Loktev.

 

—Sunday, Aug. 3—

10 a.m. to 4 p.m.: Juried Art Exhibit at the Hilton

Indicates artists presented in collaboration with Clark College Foundation

Dance & Movement Stage (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.) 

• 10 a.m. The Kif-Kif Sisters (comedy, theater and circus arts)  
• 12 p.m. Vietnamese Community of Clark County 
• 1 p.m. Groove Nation Performing Arts 
• 2 p.m. Anavai O Te Ora (Tahitian dance)
• 3 p.m.  Vancouver Ballet Folklórico 

Music Stage (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.) 

• 10 a.m. Fiddler on the Loop (electric fiddle)
• 12 p.m. Mat Randol (jazz rap) 
• 1 p.m. Carpathian-Pacific Express (klezmer groove)
• 2 p.m. Idea the Artist (electronic chamber-pop)
• 3 p.m. Catalpa June (bluesy folk-grass)

Main Stage 

5 – 5:30 p.m. Clark County Little Band (jazz combo)

6 p.m. Guitarist Sharon Isbin with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra 

USA, Maestro Gerard Schwarz conducting.  

• Copland: An Outdoor Overture 
• LeFrak: Miami Concerto for Guitar and Orchestra (Northwest premiere) 
• Stravinsky: Selections from Firebird 
• Ravel: Bolero

Intermission features All Classical Radio President & CEO Suzanne Nance in conversation with Maestro Schwarz, guitarist Sharon Isbin, and composer Karen LeFrak.

About the Vancouver USA Arts and Music Festival
The Vancouver Arts & Music Festival is a celebration of culture, community and the unbridled joy of experiencing the arts together. This free, community-focused event is coming to Vancouver, Washington, July 31–August 3, 2025, and will feature award-winning musicians, visual artists and performers from Vancouver, the Northwest region and around the world. The festival is presented by Vancouver Symphony Orchestra USA and the City of Vancouver; it received the Spotlight Award for Best Special Event from the Washington Recreation and Parks Association, recognizing its outstanding contributions to arts access, community building and economic impact. For more information visit www.vancouverartsandmusicfestival.com.

About Vancouver Symphony Orchestra USA
The VSO, now in its 47th season, has been a cornerstone of Southwest Washington’s arts community, providing symphony music of the highest caliber in live performances and through music education in schools, concert halls, and throughout the community. For more information, please visit www.vancouversymphony.org.

About the City of Vancouver
The City of Vancouver is building a community of the future on the Columbia River through a shared commitment to equity, stewardship, resilience, and public safety. Vancouver, Washington combines the excitement of a major metropolitan area with small-town charm and abundant recreational opportunities.

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