Katherine Lacaze ABOVE: Fort Stevens State Park off ers walking trails as well as truck tours, a museum and a disc golf course. RIGHT: The Summer’s End Festival will raise funds for the continued upkeep of the historic guardhouse at Fort Stevens State Park. Continued from Page 12 Samantha Hollo, a park ranger and co-coordinator of the Summer’s End Fes- tival, is excited for the opportunity to edu- cate park visitors on the fort’s history, reaching new audiences who may be dis- covering the park for the fi rst time. The festival is a fundraiser that will enable the park to continue making essen- tial repairs to a historic 1911 guardhouse. It is the only guardhouse in the U.S. that retains its original design and is also accessible to the public. (The other two are located in Yellowstone National Park and Everglades National Park.) Once used for park programming as well as activities and tours, old age is now taking its toll on the structure. Addition- ally, a microburst earlier this year took off a portion of the roof. “It’s becoming struc- turally unsound,” Hollo said, adding that the guardhouse is now boarded up and no longer open to the public. The Friends of Old Fort Stevens, whose mission is to support the pres- ervation and restoration of the historic aspects of the park, has written grants for the restoration, but it’s a large fi nancial undertaking. Because the building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, there are numerous specifi cations surround- ing repairs that require specialized labor, materials and equipment. “You have to be historically accurate,” Hollo said of the requirements. The festival will feature a variety of local vendors selling food, drinks and other goods. There will also be a kids’ zone, with activities and games for young festival attendees. For the fi rst time, Battery Pratt will serve as a stage for a lineup of local and regional bands. The battery’s cement walls make for great acoustics. “It’s the perfect stadium,” Allen said. Kami Allen, one of the organizers of the Summer’s End Festival, holds up a ticket for the event. On Saturday, Brownsmead Flats will play at 1 p.m., followed by UNLEASHED at 3 p.m., Roostipher at 5 p.m., Barney 9 Fingers at 6 p.m. and The Out-Patientz at 7 p.m. Sunday’s lineup will begin with a 1 p.m. performance by Jacquie Roar, fol- lowed by selections from Jared Dustin Griffi n at 3 p.m., Adams & Costello at 4 p.m., Wil Kinky at 5 p.m. and Lace + Thorn at 7 p.m. 94.9 The Bridge will broadcast the live music lineup and play songs in between the sets. In conjunction with the festival, All Day Disc Golf will present a disc golf tournament, using a course that was put in at the park in 2019. Approximately 150 people have registered for the sin- gles tournament, and festival visitors are invited to watch. “It will be a lot happen- ing right here,” Allen said. YOUR #1 PREMIER CANNABIS RETAILER LARGEST SELECTION FRIENDLY & KNOWLEDGEABLE STAFF ELITE PRODUCTS –– For Washington Residents –– Ilwaco Cathlamet (8am - 10pm) 360-261-7200 133 Howerton Ave (8am - 10pm) 360-849-4504 327 WA-4 Kelso Longview (8am - 12am) (8am - 12am) 360-636-0420 360-703-3229 820A West Side Hwy 971 14th Ave WARNING: This product has intoxicating effects and may be habit forming. There may be health risks associated with the consumption of this product. For use only by adults 21 and over. Keep out of reach of children. Marijuana can impair concentration, coordination, and judgement. Do not operate a vehicle or machinery under the influence of this drug. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2022 // 13