SEPTEMBER 13, 2018 // 11 in Portland — will be behind the kit. Sedona Fire, a stand-out favorite last year, is a five-piece rock band featuring the talents of Sedona Torres. Headlining Friday night at A Mighty Thai is another returning act, Scratchdog String Band, a high-ener- gy bluegrass group. Singer-songwriters are also well-represented. Austin-born Manzanita resident Sarah Barlow brings her cosmic coun- try soul to A Mighty Thai on Friday and Saturday, and Hayley Lynn’s quirky Americana-style originals hold forth at all three venues. On Saturday night, The Resolec- trics, a roots R&B band, play A Mighty Thai. The Resolectrics’ spokesman Tate Peterson echoed many artists playing this event as well as folks who plan to attend: “We’ve heard so much about the festival, and we’re really looking forward to Manzanita.” Smaller footprint The Manzanita Music Festival is a fundraiser for the Neahkahnie School District Music Program. Last year, the organizers expanded the list of venues to include a large stage at a local baseball field. Though the festival was a success, traffic and parking became a problem on U.S. Highway 101, and festival- goers had to be bussed to the field. This year’s organizers had planned on using that venue until the stage production company pulled out unex- pectedly. Facing this roadblock, festival founder Beth Carter-Boyer chose to steer the festival back to its small- er, more intimate origins. She also scaled back the event from three days to two. “We’re going back to a festival with a smaller footprint,” Carter-Boy- er said. “The musicians and the crowd interact better, and it makes things more intimate and community-feel- ing. Last year was fun, but it was just too big, too complicated.” To keep the music playing, orga- nizers teamed up with San Dune Pub owner Debra “Deb” Greenlee. “I just want to see school kids have a chance to play an instrument or sing instead of turning to drugs and crime, so I decided to step up,” Greenlee said. “I cannot overemphasize what Deb’s support means to this festival,” Carter-Boyer said. CW TIM LABARGE PHOTO Modern roots rockers The Resolectrics. COURTESY BETH CARTER-BOYER RON BALDWIN PHOTO Manzanita Music Festival founder Beth Carter-Boyer, left, and Debra Greenlee, own- er of the San Dune Pub and 2018 festival presenter. Singer-songwriter Hayley Lynn will perform at this year’s Man- zanita Music Festival.