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The new Cascade Equinox Festival happening this weekend in Redmond is, undoubtedly, a music-focused festival.

But it’s also more than that. For evidence, get your scrolling finger or thumb warmed up and visit the “Experience” section of cascadeequinox.com, where you can read about all the things being offered at the three-day gathering.

There’s the music, of course. But there’s also the Culinary Commons, a “food and beverage oasis” featuring local and regional cuisine. And The Grove, a “relaxing space to meet your friends” with drinks, artisan booths and more. And Experiential Art, including installations, interactive spaces, muralists and more.

There’s the Healing Garden, “a place to unwind, relax and enjoy some self-care!” And the Inner Circle, which offers amenities for those who upgrade their ticket. There’s an artisan market, a kids’ zone and day camps for kids, a boutique campground, workshops and The Grotto, an area with more than 25 beer, wine, ciders and seltzers on tap. There’s even a section called Adventure Excursions, which leads to rock climbing, mountain biking, kayaking and horseback riding day trips.

Music is the main thing at Cascade Equinox, but it was never going to be the only thing, said the festival’s founder, Toby White.

“I was kind of looking for something that was more in line with what I’d be looking for,” he said. “I’m 43 years old, you know? I have a wife and a kid, and I’m not necessarily looking for just the typical kind of music festival. I want more of an elevated experience. So that’s what we created.”

White is familiar with the typical kind of music festival. For nearly two decades, he has been putting on Gem & Jam, a three-day gathering of electronic artists and jam bands that happens each winter in Tucson, Arizona. As that event has “solidified” in recent years, he said, he started thinking about trying to establish a second festival somewhere in the United States.

Separately, White moved his family to Bend about 2 1/2 years ago. They were looking for somewhere new to live that provided an outdoor, mountain-adjacent lifestyle, but White did not arrive in town thinking of Central Oregon as a festival possibility.

“I moved up here with my family and once we got here I really saw a void in the fact that there was nothing like this at all in the whole region,” he said. “So I talked to my partners about it and we started moving forward.”

One of the first things White did was connect with longtime local Stacy Koff, who has been the driving force behind the annual 4 Peaks Music Festival near Bend since 2007. With 4 Peaks taking a year off (but returning in 2024, she said), Koff was invited to join the team working to bring Cascade Equinox to life.

“We really wanted to have Stacy on the team to give us her perspective as someone who has been here locally for a long time and can help us make sure we bring something really cool to our community,” White said.

Koff, who also throws shows around town under the name 4 Peaks Presents, was at first curious to hear about White’s vision. It didn’t take her long, however, to get excited about Cascade Equinox.

“If somebody comes to me with an idea like this that feels different from 4 Peaks in terms of size and timing but similar in vibe, I’m always interested to learn more and this was something I wanted to be involved in,” she said. “It works really well together because 4 Peaks happens on the solstice and this is the equinox, so it feels like a natural partnership. I love that.”

With a team in place, White started working on putting the pieces of the festival together, focusing on vibrant electronic music, rootsy jams, funk-rock powerhouses, genre-defying acts and a bunch of Central Oregon’s own bands. There will be six stages, with a couple running into the wee hours of the morning, plus Grateful Dead tribute sets, a Tyler Childers cover band, dance music takeovers and more.

The big “gets” on the schedule are the fast-rising East Coast jam band Goose, who are headlining Sunday night, and top-tier electronic music producer Pretty Lights, who will stop at Cascade Equinox Saturday night as part of his first tour since 2018. But musically speaking, the lineup is as diverse as the festival’s non-music programming, which is exactly the point, White said.

“We’re really hoping that people who don’t normally go to music festivals might come out to this one because of the different things that we have available,” he said. “I think everyone who comes out will find something they enjoy, and that goes beyond the music.”

The new festival in Redmond has attracted some big names, such as Pretty Lights, Goose, Phantogram and Big Wild. But there are a bunch of great smaller acts playing the event that are well worth your time and attention earlier in the day. Here are five of them, plus when they perform:

Rose City Band

5:15-6:30 p.m. Friday, Equinox stage

The prolific cosmic-twang project from longtime West Coast psych giant Ripley Johnson (Wooden Shjips, Moon Duo) radiates mellow, wandering, Dead-influenced country vibes.

Tripp St.

9-10:15 p.m. Friday, Tilt stage

The musician behind this project has carefully hidden his identity. His intoxicating blend of bass music, hip-hop and mellow psychedelic grooves, however, is earning a lot of attention.

LeSpecial

7-8:15 p.m. Saturday, Harvest stage

This Connecticut-based power trio is perhaps the heaviest band at the festival, thanks to its headbanging blend of hard-rock guitar riffs, bone-rattling rhythms and cool synth textures.

Maddy O’Neal

8-9:15 p.m. Saturday, Tilt stage

Why write a blurb when Maddy O’Neal nails it herself: “Dirty Funky Bass Music but make it pretty.” Her take on electronic dance music incorporates R&B, soul and pop elements.

Grateful Dead takeover

4:15-9 p.m. Sunday, Axis stage

This evening tribute to human history’s most iconic jam band features three locals who know how to groove: Call Down Thunder, GBots & The Journeyman and Pete Kartsounes.

Friday through Sunday

$99 single-day tickets, $279 three-day passes, ticket prices increase at the gate

Deschutes County Fair & Expo Center, 3800 SE Airport Way, Redmond

cascadeequinox.com