It is only fitting that the summer season of music at the Wicked Spud in Hailey end on Saturday, Sept. 8, with "Spudapalooza," an all-day music festival.
From 1 to 9:30 p.m. bands will take the stage with raffles occurring in between set-ups. Proceeds from the raffles will benefit the Special Olympics 2009 World Winter Games, the Papoose Club and the Wood River Hospice.
Featured bands for "Spudapalooza" will be the 911, The Performance, the Dam Phools, the 812 band and Slow Children Playing.
"It's the grand Back Alley finale," said Heidi Albrecht, who organizes the music series with Dana DuGan of Figg Leaf Productions.
Albrecht said the day-long festival will be a great time for the community to come together, especially since much of the valley is under stress due to the Castle Rock Fire.
The Back Alley Party at the Wicked Spud was threatened by noise complaints earlier in the summer, which were quickly dismissed due to an outpouring of community support for the event.
"I feel like a football player with his hands up shouting," Albrecht said. "It shows what the community is all about, and how much we need such a viable event. I've never seen anything like it—the way the community rallied."
Live music at the Wicked Spud allows families to bring their children and neighbors to spend time together listening and dancing to music outside, which is at a minimum once winter arrives.
"We could not do (the Spudapalooza) last year," Albrecht said. "It has been a long season, but we needed to rally this year. It's Hailey's summer hang-out where kids dance, parents smile and people enjoy being with people."
For raffle donations, contact Heidi Albrecht at 788-7827.