Treefort is coming.
The annual five-day festival that brings more than 500 bands to dozens of venues and stages in downtown Boise, not to mention throngs of people—last year the event clocked at least 25,000—has announced this year’s lineup of forts.
“Treefort 11 is going to feel bigger this year and in many ways it is,” said Eric Gilbert, co-founder and festival director of Treefort Music Fest.
Treefort 11 is slated for March 22-26 and, in addition to musical performers, will include programming for 13 forts, strung out from the old Greyhound Bus building downtown at 12th and Bannock, to Boise Centre East, to Julia Davis Park, and points in-between and beyond.
The 2023 forts include Alefort, Artfort, Comedyfort, Dragfort, Filmfort, Foodfort, Hackfort, Kidfort, Podfort, Storyfort, Skatefort, Yogafort, and Music Talks.
While some of the forts will be contained in Julia Davis Park, which is also where the Main Stage area is relocating, Filmfort will be around the corner at The Flicks. Podfort and Hackfort will be at Boise Centre East and Yogafort will have scheduling at the new Treefort Music Hall, the old Greyhound Bus building, the Basque Center and LED as well as the park. Alefort will be at the park and also will have an Alefort Cocktail Showcase at the Greyhound Bus building. Dragfort will be at The Balcony. And at least one Comedyfort performance will be at The Egyptian, with more comedians and venues to be announced. Artfort will bloom all over.
Julia Davis Park will be Treefort central—the park will be cordoned off, said Treefort spokesperson Marissa Lovell. Festival attendees will be able to move about freely and roam from the Main Stage to the food truck line to Alefort, adult beverages in hand. And while passes will be required for admittance to the Main Stage area (which includes a new venue called The Hideout), people can enter the park and many of the forts for free.
Festival passes, day passes or event and performance passes will also be required for many of the music venues scattered from downtown Boise to Bodo and beyond, but some venues, including Boise Brewing, Payette Brewing and Hops and Bottles will feature stages and music performances free of charge.
Foodfort will be providing a number of ticketed culinary events as well as setting up a Nacho Palace at Alefort, said Lovell, where hungry festival attendees can get either corn or potato chips and choice of toppings, all made from Idaho-grown ingredients.
“The forts of Treefort are going big for 2023,” Gilbert said. “We have legendary comedian Tig Notaro at Comedyfort, INFLATABILL is going to do some really cool stuff around the fest with Artfort, and I’m really excited for the documentary “Dusty & Stones” at Filmfort—a fascinating cross-cultural, cross-continental story that beautifully captures the common experience of so many emerging artists.”
Festival attendees with a pass or ticket ($55—$75) can get in to see Comedyfort headliner Notaro at The Egyptian. Artfort, free and open to all ages, will also feature choreographer Joseph Hernandez, the inclusive ballet company Ballet22, and solo performance artist Selby Jenkins. More featured fort performers, acts and shows are detailed on Treefort’s website.
Because the festival’s footprint has expanded, Gilbert said there will be two Treeline bus routes, free to festivalgoers. And, as in the past, the buses will feature live music to serenade attendees going to and fro—“but we also encourage people to walk, skate, or bike between venues,” he said.
Separate fort passes can be purchased as standalones or they can be combined with a festival pass. Go to treefortmusicfest.com to purchase passes or for more details.
