BOISE, Idaho — This year marks Treefort's 11th epic reunion of local artists, creatives, storytellers and performers.
As performers and bands prepare their final sound checks and setlists, we prepared the ultimate guide to help you plan your time at Treefort Music Fest 2023 this March 22-26.
From the different "forts" and freebies to transportation and pro tips - here is your Treefort trove of attendee resources for an effortless experience.
Need-to-Know Fest Info
Festival grounds and passholder information.
• The main hub of Treefort Music Fest will be in the West section of Julia Davis Park, between Capitol Boulevard and Zoo Boise, starting Wednesday, March 22 through Sunday, March 26.
• There will be two zones within Julia Davis Park: The Fort Zone (free & public) and the Wristband Zone (passholders).
• All attendees will enter the park through the Main Entrance, facing Capitol Boulevard, just south of the Boise Art Museum. All attendees, regardless of passholder status, will go through security upon entering the park.
• There will be NO passes sold within the park; only pre-purchased passes can be picked up within the park. To purchase a pass during the festival, visit the Box Office located at Treefort Music Hall (722 W Broad Street) or purchase online.
• Looking for more music? Catch a free show at the Cyclops Stage, Record Exchange, Payette Brewing, Lost Grove Brewing, Boise Brewing, and Camp Modern!
• All passholders get half-off admission to Zoo Boise during Treefort week!
• BONUS! There will be bands performing on Valley Regional Transit's 'Treeline' shuttle – lineup TBA!
Pro Tip:
Download the Treefort App. In addition to building your own personalized schedule, you can share your schedule with friends and when it’s time for the festival you can check the length of lines at different venues AND get real-time festival updates.
Passholder & Ticket Options
Passes are still available. Attendees have a variety of options, ranging from $100 for single-day tickets to Zipline 5-day passes for $420.
• The Five-day Festival Pass. This will get you into all music venues, forts and events.
• The Single Day Pass. This pass gains you entry for one day/night.
• The ZIPLINE Pass. This allows you to skip to the front of the line at every venue.
• The BUZZ Pass. Similar to a ZIPLINE pass, but for Alefort only and access to a secret menu within Alefort.
All fort events are included in a Five-Day Festival Pass or Single-Day Pass. Fort Badges on sale include: Dragfort ($69), Hackfort ($30), Filmfort ($30), Kidfort Comedy + Stunt Show ($10), and Yogafort ($69).
Kids under the age of 12 are free to attend an event when accompanied by an adult pass holder. Many of the venues, including the main stage, are all-ages, but some are restricted to those 21 years of age and older.
For more information about passes and pricing people can go to treefortmusicfest.com.
Zones & "Forts"
Zones and of course...the "forts" of Treefort. Admittance to forts varies depending on age and pass. Part of what makes the festival so unique and inclusive for all ages and people with varying activity levels.
• THE FORT ZONE (free & open to the public) includes many forts and activities like Alefort, Kidfort, Radioland, Ranger Station, food trucks, bars, restrooms, water stations and merch/token sales.
• THE WRISTBAND ZONE (will require a Five-Day, Single-Day or Main Stage pass to enter) includes Main Stage, Hideout Stage, the Garden Dome, art installations and more.
• ALEFORT 2023 (free & open to the public ages 21+) craft beverage and food tasting. Sample local and regional beer, wine, cider and cocktails that capture Boise’s welcoming culture and unique style.
• ARTFORT 2023 (free & open to all ages) will have performances and visual artists, including Starbelly Dancers, BRENDA ARTS, and Colossal Collective, as well as artists painting live murals during the fest and two special artist showcases.
• COMEDYFORT 2023 (requires a Festival Pass) headlined by Emmy and Grammy nominated stand-up comedian Tig Notaro. Individual tickets to see Tig are sold out, but Festival Passholders will have first come, first served seating on the second level/mezzanine of The Egyptian.
• FILMFORT 2023 (requires a Festival Pass or Filmfort Pass for $30) has feature films and short films which will screen in blocks of 5-6 films daily.
• FOODFORT 2023 (are ticketed) On Wednesday, March 22, James Beard Nominee and Food & Wine's Best New Chef of 2021, Chef Ji Hye Kim will create an intimate dinner exploring Korean cuisine. On Thursday, March 23, Street Eats will return. On Saturday, March 26, Virginia's five-time World Barbecue Champion Tuffy Stone is hosting a mouth-watering BBQ.
• HACKFORT 2023 (requires a Festival or Hackfort Pass for $30, open to all ages) has announced several workshops happening at the fest, including Build Your Own Custom Keyboard, Solderfort 101: An introduction to basic soldering, a Lock Picking Lounge, and more interactive activities.
• KIDFORT 2023 (free & open to all ages) has programming for the younger crowds at Treefort Music Fest and has announced additional workshops happening during the fest, including Folky Fun for Families with Boise Music Lessons and the Aerial Circus Show.
• MUSIC TALKS (free & open to all ages) will feature the industry's brightest minds at Treefort Music Fest, discussing the future of music. Made for artists at any point in their career and anyone who is interested in the music industry.
• PETFORT 2023 (free & open to the public) Saturday, March 25 from noon to 3 p.m. Sectioned off area for dogs that will include games, a lounge area and a photo-op where people can dress up like their dogs. At 2 p.m., the fort will raffle off two Saturday Treefort tickets to one doggone lucky pet owner.
• PODFORT 2023 (free & open to the public) is for all things Podcasts. More than 20 podcasts will be doing live recordings at the fest, including improv4humans with Matt Besser, High and Mighty with Jon Gabrus, Sloppy Seconds with Big Dipper and Meatball and more!
• SKATEFORT 2023 (free & open to the public) enjoy skateboarding, roller-skating, hanging out and of course, listening to music. Skatefort is run by Boise Skateboard Association and Boise’s Parks & Recreation. Their goal is to improve the lives of Boiseans by advocating for youth and at-risk youth to enjoy the healthy activity of skateboarding in safe and accessible environments.
• STORYFORT 2023 (free & open to all ages) brings in some of the most influential young and emerging writers in the country, including Kevin Maloney, New York Times Bestselling author Jonathan Evison, Tomás Baiza, and Parker Young.
• YOGAFORT 2023 (requires Festival Pass or Yogafort Pass) yoga and movement classes all set to live music. Your place to drop-in for a recharging yoga session, get your sweat on, and find center amongst the high vibes of festival life.
Navigating Treefort
Driving, parking, biking, shuttle services, and many more options for getting around Treefort and the various venues.
Driving & Parking: Plan to walk a lot.
Boise State University will offer daily parking for Treefort festival goers.
• Treefort attendees may park in Brady Garage Wednesday, March 22 through Sunday, March 26.
• Parking is $5 per day.
• Pay at the kiosk before you leave the garage. Select “Treefort Music Fest” and follow the step-by-step instructions. You will need to know your license plate number.
• If you overindulge at one of the bars or beer tents, please don’t drink and drive – but do go get your car the morning after. Cars must be moved by 10 a.m. the following day.
Downtown Boise parking garages will be open and available. However. expect garages to reach capacity quickly.
Rideshare services such as Uber and Lyft are available in Boise but be aware that fares often vary widely depending on availability of drivers and demand for rides.
Road Closures:
Even if you don’t plan to attend Treefort, there will be street closures to be aware of if your drive takes you through downtown Boise.
• Broad Street from 8th Street to Capitol Blvd
• Broad Street from 5th Street to 6th Street (in front of Boise Brewing)
• Freak Alley from 8th Street to 9th Street
Walking:
• Most of the venues are just a few minutes’ walk away from each other. It’s a little over a mile from the west end of downtown to Julia Davis Park. Downtown Boise is not hilly. That said, wear comfortable shoes. Most of the music venues are set up for standing and dancing, not sitting.
Valley Regional Transit's 'Treeline' shuttle:
• Two buses will shuttle festival goers between venues, including the main stage at Julia Davis Park, from 6 p.m. to midnight Wednesday through Saturday.
• You can catch a Treeline bus at one of the decorated stops around downtown Boise.
• A festival wristband isn’t required. If you do have a festival wristband, you can ride any regular Valley Regional Transit bus route for free during Treefort.
• There is no bus service on Sundays.
• BONUS! There will be bands performing on the Treeline – lineup TBA!
Bicycling & Scooters:
• The Boise Bicycle Project is providing two bike parking stations in Julia Davis Park during Treefort.
• Electric scooters that you can take from venue to venue are placed around town.
• Lime scooters will provide a scooter corral at Julia Davis Park. Lime also is offering a 30% discount on scooter rides for those who download the Lime app.
Pro Tip:
Pay attention to the scheduled street closures. Best practice would be to arrange a group carpool!
Schedule & Lineup
Over 60 venues participate from all around downtown Boise, over 450 bands, and 700+ events
The five-day event will transform downtown Boise into a bustling, cultural hub with the hope of bringing diverse, up-and-coming, dedicated artists to a place we call Idahome. Now, the festival's 2023 lineup’:
Browse the Treefort Music Fest 2023 schedule here (< there lol).
Check out Treefort 2023 lineup here (yes, < there). In each artist's profile, you can find when and where they'll be performing. You can also find links to listen to some of their work on YouTube or Spotify. Those links are circled in the example below.
Free shows at The Record Exchange
These in-store performances are open to all ages:
- Wednesday at 5 p.m.: Oruã
- Thursday at 4:30 p.m.: Death Valley Girls
- Friday at 5 p.m.: Causeway
- Saturday at noon: Hanna Jadagu
- Sunday at 12:30 p.m.: Sun Atoms
This is the 11th year for the Treefort Music Fest, which began in 2012 as a showcase of Boise's local music and arts community, and also brought some out-of-town bands and artists to the Gem State. The festival continues to focus on independent and emerging national, regional and local artists across a wide range of musical genres.
Treefort Music Fest was recognized in 2015-2017 as the Cultural Ambassador for the City of Boise.
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