This Weekend, Beacon Rocks!

Rock out with your neighbors at Beacon Hill’s annual music festival.

Sunday, Aug. 28 marks the annual Beacon Rocks! festival, an outdoor music series that features an eclectic mix of family-friendly music every summer.

The event allows local musicians to show off their talent, and at the same time gives residents the chance to foster a sense of community with their neighbors. The diversity of Beacon Hill is reflected in the eclectic mix of artists and performers scheduled this year. From belly dancing to a cappella singing groups, the lineup truly has something for everyone.

Deception Pass (1 p.m.)

Alternative group Deception Pass — named after a popular state park near Whidbey Island — has been making music for four years, since the members were in fifth grade together at Kimball Elementary in Seattle. They have played at Vera Project and Radar Hair and Records, and headlined the annual Dead End Festival in Columbia City. Deception Pass recently released a self-titled album of original recordings.

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Splinter (4:45 p.m.)

Dance enthusiasts seeking something a little more unconventional should check out Splinter, a homegrown troupe that combines hip-hop, break-dancing, modern, ballet, salsa, contemporary and jazz. Splinter makes dance accessible to the public by using a program that is site-specific, as well as continually incorporating current artists and songs into its repertoire.

Unite-One & TraQEssentials (5 p.m.)

The final performance of the day will be a collaboration between two exciting groups. The first, Seattle’s own Unite-One, specializes in funk, reggae, blues and improvisational jams. According to its bio, the group seeks to “inspire social change through the communication of conscious music.” Past performances for Unite-One include headlined sets at Seattle’s Nectar Lounge and completely solar-powered outdoor shows.

They will be joined onstage by TraQEssentials, a fusion of two hip-hop artists, Traq and The Essence. Traq, a local MC whose grandmother once dated Jimi Hendrix, and The Essence, a Salt Lake City transplant with an affinity for poetry, released “The Traqessentials” last year to positive reviews. With a duo of up-and-coming rappers rhyming alongside such a dynamic jam band, this performance is a definite must-see.

The Beacon Rocks! events will be held Sunday, Aug. 28 from 1 to 5 p.m. on Seattle’s Roberto Maestas Festival Street, a stretch of South Landers Street located near the Beacon Hill Light Rail station (click here for directions). Beacon Rocks! is put on by Beacon Hill Music, which recently merged with ROCKiT Space — a non-profit organization that is dedicated to making music and art available to everyone.

Beacon Rocks!  | Roberto Maestas Festival Street  |(206) 323-7733