Nestled in a high desert haven, Cascade Equinox mixed nature, music, and connection over four days to create unforgettable moments in Redmond, Oregon.
Situated in the green grass oasis of Redmond, Oregon‘s Deschutes County Fair & Expo Center, Cascade Equinox provided a blissful transition to fall. With an impressive lineup featuring Disclosure, Sylvan Esso, Chromeo, and Big Gigantic all set against the pristine sunsets of a high desert landscape, the four-day gathering went into its junior year with heavy hitters and hope for continued presence in the independent festival scene.
The headliners performed magnificently. Disclosure mixed in some UKG with their signature deep house, while Sylvan Esso’s set veered indie. Big Gigantic brought the horn section while TroyBoi delivered the bass to the Equinox Stage. For the bassheads, Mersiv, Artifakts, and Zen Selekta packed more power over at Tilt Stage, where a sweet Void Acoustics sound system made me feel like the warehouse roof was going to vibrate all the way off. Chromeo and a rare Passion Pit set helped change the BPM while keeping the crowd moving.
The third rendition of Cascade Equinox had something for everyone, kids included.
Aside from the two main stages, the warehouse vibe carried over to the stellar roller discos Solar Spin and Cosmic Drip, the latter of which mixed music with an art market. So many live painters and artists showcased their work that it overflowed into the festival grounds.
Next to these, one could find several bars serving local Deschutes County beer, cocktails, wine, and food in the Culinary Commons. They offered the normal festival fare: tots, dumplings, fried rice, crepes, and mac and cheese — but the one that kept drawing me back was Askewed. They offered Hawaiian-style sauces with beef or pork skewers over a variety of sides, from Asian coleslaw and kimchi to garlic rice and pickle chips. I was fortunate to come in early for dinner while they were concocting one of their Ube Dalgona Lattes with an espresso whip as a test run, and they gave it to me for free with my dinner.
What I found most inviting about the festival grounds was its circular design. On the opposite end of the Tilt stage, through window shopping in the Nomadic Market, one came to the Harvest Stage in the festival footprint’s inner circle. This provided shade and beats as well as a babbling brook with a pond and ducks. But most importantly, it hosted live acts in genres like bluegrass, country, and rock music to help shake up the vibe.
One particularly psychedelic jam band called Brett’s House Party provided live, improvisational house music with electronic drums, synths, two bassists, hypnotic vocals. The eponymous Brett had a lap slide steel guitar that gave the set a particularly groovy feel.
Against all odds, Cascade Equinox is an emerging fixture of the festival landscape.
As the industry continues its rapid transition post-pandemic, more festivals are taking year-long breaks or discontinuing production entirely. It’s important to remember how special these early days of the Cascade Equinox have been. They remind us that while the ecosystem is fragile, there is an opportunity for those who do it well.
Cascade Equinox has a lot going for it. Their dedicated team has dialed their production to provide a solid template going into their fourth year. Now more than ever, it is essential to support these mom and pops. I look forward to seeing next year’s lineup.
