by Jacob Espinoza

Capital City Retro Fest returns to Riverfront Park this month for its second year, and it's arriving with an award and a bigger attendance goal.

(I’ll say this again, but this year Kid’s 12 and Under Are Free.)

It's a three-night, all-ages tribute concert at the Gerry Frank Amphitheater, and the guy who runs it says Salem is one of the easiest cities he's ever worked with.

I talked with festival owner Jason Fellman by phone last week to find out how year one went and what's changed for year two. Here's what I learned.

Three nights of tribute bands at the amphitheater on the Riverfront, all ages, kids 12 and under free.

There's a food cart pod, a central bar serving 21-and-over, misting tents for the heat, a free water refill station and family activities.

This year's lineup includes tributes to:

Fellman told me the nights sort themselves out by era without him planning it that way. "Friday night's 90s, Saturday's 80s… it's organically like that," he said.

The dates are August 14–16. Gates open at 6 and music starts at 7 on Friday and Saturday; Sunday runs earlier, with gates at 4 and music at 5.

Tickets are at capcityretro.com.

Retro Fest is the offshoot of Harefest, Fellman's flagship, a 21-and-over event now in its 14th year that draws 10,000-plus people. He said parents kept asking for a version their kids could attend, and Retro Fest was the answer.

"Hairfest isn't appropriate, for many reasons, for kids," he told me. The shorter format helps too: "Taking your family to a three-day all-day festival is a lot for people to do, whereas just coming out for a night and bringing the kids is a lot more manageable."

He said he was surprised how many kids showed up in year one. Enough that they're adding more kid-focused activities this year, including a photo stage set up like a mini concert with drums, guitars and instruments so people can pose like they're rocking out.

Three reasons, per Fellman. His bands already had a following here from years of playing Salem venues and the old Cherryfest at the waterfront, the amphitheater itself, and the city.

He was direct about the venue. "The amphitheater, to be honest. It's really a great place for us to do a show. It's just the right size." He said people repeatedly walked up to him during last year's event and told him they had no idea the space existed.

My take: The Riverfront amphitheater is one of those well-kept Salem secrets, and events like this are how people who don't live in Salem will find it.

On the city itself, Fellman had zero complaints. He said the permitting was clear, the fees were reasonable, and staff were responsive and welcoming. "You get the feeling like they want the event there." That's a feelings-and-vibe read from an organizer, not a formal review of city process, but it's a useful signal, because he's comparing Salem to the five markets his company runs festivals in.

He also likes the logistics: easy downtown parking (especially in comparison to Portland, where he lives), park-and-walk access, and Salem's central I-5 spot that pulls people from Portland, Eugene, the coast and beyond.

Year one drew about 1,500 a day. This year Fellman's shooting for 2,000 a day. He was clear that attendance isn't the whole scorecard: "Ultimately the most important thing is just making sure we create a great experience for the people who show up."

That care shows up in small ways. Fellman pointed to the misting tents as an example: "If it's hot out, we've got misters so people can stay cool. We're kind of taking care of people that way."

One structural change should help. Last year the festival landed the same weekend as the fair. This year it's a week ahead of it.

Fellman's pitch for the festival is refreshingly plain: "If you like this music, you will have a good time. That is really the bottom line." Back for round two, and run by someone who genuinely seems to like working in Salem. That's a good thing to have on the Riverfront.

Learn more at https://harefest.com/capcityretro/