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Festival at Sandpoint

"I love to watch people as they drive or walk by the street and all of a sudden hear music.   Something very magical happens, and, you know, they smile and they're happier and it improves their day and their outlook.  People tell their friends about it, people come back -- they want to feel that way again."

Marilyn Sabella, musical events organizer and downtown merchant, interviewed by Nancy Renk in 1996.

Festival at Sandpoint.  Photo by Duane Davis, courtesy of Verna Davis.  

    Music fills the air during the summer months in Sandpoint -- from intimate concerts on the lawn next to Lake Pend Oreille to lively street music downtown to well-known performers at the Festival at Sandpoint.

    The Festival is the best-known event.  Started in 1982, it brings a wide variety of music to the area.   Each season features the Spokane Symphony orchestra as well as a variety of other musicians who offer something to please every musical taste.  Popular concerts in 1996 featured Kathy Mattea, Neil Sedaka, and Lou Rawls.

    The arts help fill the coffers in Sandpoint.  A 1990 study by the University of Idaho estimated the impact of the arts on the town totaled more than $22 million annually and accounted for more than 1,200 jobs.

Marilyn Sabella, member of the Pend Oreille Arts Council, talks about
Sandpoint's success as an art town.