History

Olalla Americana Festival is in it’s 5th year, however, the Olalla Bluegrass Festival began in 1991, when a small group of local folks banded together to save our beloved nearby forest from being sold and developed into a 700-unit housing tract. Kitsap County purchased and turned it into the Banner Forest Park for all to enjoy.

That victory convinced us we could also resurrect our slumbering Olalla Community Club building by organizing and renovating.  We knew it would require hard work and money.  Lots and lots of money.  So we decided to have a festival to raise funds.  The rest, as they say, is history.

The Olalla Festival is now in its 30th year. And the money we raised with our little event has help support local community activities and maintain local traditions. The community has dug a well for the 113-plus-year-old community hall, repaired the buildings foundation, installed a spiffy new kitchen and bathrooms, repainted the place and replaced the roof. The festival also provides for a monthly concert series at the Club bringing folks together to hear top notch musicians.  Recently, we even installed a reader-board near the front door so everyone will know what’s happening at the hall as we present activities serving our community all year round.  We also pay for the hall’s upkeep and expenses every month through the proceeds from the festival.

Our current projects include fixing up the parking lot and re-painting the exterior of the building. We plan to add a beautiful, hand-painted mural to our cool clubhouse sign.  And were slowly-but-surely restoring the basement into a usable, functioning space, complete with its own meeting facilities.  Donations of time, labor, materials and cash are always welcome.