The five-day festival brings more than 500 bands, visitors and a surge in business activity to downtown Boise.
BOISE, Idaho — Treefort Music Fest is set to take over downtown Boise this week, bringing thousands of visitors, hundreds of bands and a boost to local businesses.
The five-day festival, which runs March 25 to 29, will transform Boise into a citywide stage. The festival features more than 500 bands along with art, food and events spread across multiple venues.
Crews spent the day setting up at Julia Davis Park, the festival’s main hub, which will once again be divided into two sections, one open to the public and another requiring a ticketed wristband for entry.
For local businesses, the event is one of the busiest times of the year.
“It’s definitely a big boost for local businesses, bars, restaurants… everything,” said Michael Francis, owner of Payette Brewing Company. “You get people from out of town, and it gets people walking around, biking around.”
Francis said his team has been preparing with extra staff and increased supply to meet the demand.
“We’re full on Treefort preparations, getting the beer garden cleaned up, getting our stage ready to go, making repairs and putting up decorations,” he said. “We’re a free venue for all ages, and we’ll have music from Thursday through Saturday.”
He added that the festival brings a unique energy to the city.
“Treefort has been one of the coolest things I’ve seen come out of Boise,” Francis said. “The town comes alive in a different way, it’s just a vibe.”
Festivalgoers like Paige Wayment are also looking forward to the experience.
“I’m just excited to see so much music and kind of see downtown Boise transform into this lively arts environment,” she said.
Wayment plans to attend for the first time, and said she has heard the festival offers endless opportunities to explore.
“I’ve heard that it’s a great time and that there’s no shortage of opportunities to have fun, listen to music, see cool bands and meet people,” she said.
Events will take place throughout downtown Boise, with organizers encouraging attendees to plan ahead for traffic and crowds as the city prepares for one of its largest annual events.