THING Festival Back for Third Year at Fort Worden

Washington’s cutest festival lights up Fort Worden for a third year! THING Fest, produced by Seattle Theatre Group, is a family-friendly music and arts festival located in Port Townsend. In addition to music, THING offers comedy, visual arts, movement, nature, and more. The festival feels welcoming and secluded, sort of like summer camp. (Sidenote: I did go to Fort Worden for middle school summer camp!)

The origin of the name “THING” derives from the medieval term “ting,” referring to an assembly of free people. Tings took place at regular intervals, offering opportunities for socializing and trade. One could certainly consider THING Fest a gathering of this nature, offering music, shopping, interactive art, and community.

THING produces diverse and carefully curated lineups, ranging in genre from folk (Black Country New Road was one of ‘em), to R&B (shooting Lil Yachty was not on my 2023 Bingo card!). You can watch a band, catch a drag show, see a standup comic – like Sarah Sherman! If you’re feeling overwhelmed, you can chill in the sensory garden or relax by the (very cold) beach.

Aside from mainstage performances, I watched a few intimate outdoor sets at The Sound Cave Project. The SCP creates Sympathetic Resonance, a phenomenon that occurs when sound vibrations interact with objects tuned to them so strongly that these objects continue echoing this tone into the room even after the original sound stops. Artist and creator Tyson Ayers poses the question: if this phenomenon happens within our audible hearing, does it also happen in frequencies beyond our hearing? I walked by the structure when an acoustic artist was playing in the SCP. I felt an indescribable feeling in my ears – like ASMR but different. Before experiencing this, I actually thought the Cave was a simple structure!

I discovered some new faves like Samia and Thee Sacred Souls. I also caught a few Seattle locals like THEM and King Youngblood. Headliners Sylvan Esso and Thundercat were very different in genre, but the same in energy and presence. When I saw Sylvan Esso light incense before the set, I knew something spiritual was about to go down. Also as someone in the photo pit, that incense smelled bomb. Nogchampa?

Sunday’s headliner, Thundercat, captivated the audience with his engaging performance and unique sound. Thundercat’s genre doesn’t fit in one box, and that’s what makes them so intriguing. The group can be described as a combination of psych, R&B, funk… check ‘em out and decide for yourself! The crowd was left vibing and already looking forward to next year.

Words and pictures: Brittne Lunniss