The 15th Annual Bluff Arts Festival

The Bluff Arts Festival is an annual four-day affair with something for everyone.

One of the favorite activities is building the massive animal that will become a huge bonfire for the annual Winter Solstice Burn.  This year artist Joe Pachak and all comers are creating two entwined ravens out of locally collected materials.  Here are four sculptures from former years.

On Thursday, the first evening, the torch-lit half-mile walk to the river for the story telling reminded me of walking into Reggae on the River -- fewer people, but everyone peaceful, low-key, and happy to be sitting by the rolling San Juan River having a sing-a-long with neighbors and visitors.  

My favorite performance was Ellen Melloy's recorded reading one of her essays.  Her books are why I came to explore this area, and fell in love.  Ellen died too young, before she could share more of her wisdom and humor.

I enjoyed Friday’s Art Mart in the Community Center, and the evening’s music was lively fun backlit by the sunset at the Cow Canyon Trading Post.  Neon Nativz offered electronic dance music with an indigenous vibe...

...while Carute Roman (Gypsy Wagon) offered high energy Roma music in six different languages with accordions, trumpet, fiddle, and guitar. They had everyone up dancing!

My time in and around Bluff was so fun and interesting, and Bears Ears National Monument is so beautiful and intriguing, in both its geology and anthropology, I've already made plans to return for next year's festival, October 15-18, 2020.  Hopefully someday I'll make it to the Winter Solstice Burn!