The Fremont Chamber established the successful Oktoberfest event as our bookend to the Fremont Public Association's legendary Street Fair and the Fremont Arts Council's stunning Solstice Parade. As we've grown confident in this schedule, a desire sprouted within our organization to have something more. Murmurs and whispers swell louder each year with wishes for a spring event.

Recognizing this, the Fremont Chamber Board decided, at their February 2005 meeting, to donate modest financial support to the fledgling Moisture Festival. Landowner Suzie Burke offered to match whatever we gave.

The 2nd Annual Moisture Festival takes place March 30 - April 11th at Hale's Palladium. Brought to the area by local performance artists, support among the Fremont movers and shakers for this event expands ever outwards.

Dunn Lumber, Dusty Strings, Eyes On Fremont, Fremont Place Book Co., Muir Public Relations, Norm's Eatery & Ale House, NorthStar Bank, and TPN show up on the list of sponsors, and the Chamber membership. More importantly, the 2nd Annual Moisture Festival takes the stage in the newly established Hale's Palladium, behind Hale's Brewery. Mike Hale, Chamber and Fremont Rotary member, gave them perhaps the greatest support of all - a place to perform.

By locating within the Palladium they can set a trapeze, erect a full stage and offer more spectacular acts. Plus, Hale's accommodates family audiences, well-cooked meals and those all important adult beverages that attract paying customers. In their first year, due to liquor laws, kids couldn't witness this amazing event except at two afternoon matinees. Now all but the late night burlesque shows stand open for their viewing, and participation.

Taste of Outrageousness

People whine about gentrification and a loss of soul here, but Fremont has not passed its time according to Ron W. Bailey. "This is still a place where you can explore artistic ventures." Inspiration rose from the desire to gather together vaguely interrelated groups - from Circus Contraption to the Canote Brothers to Cirque de Flambé - and give them a chance locally to perform together.

After speaking with Ron, and Simon Neale (two of the event's original organizers), I couldn't help but catch the excitement of the "unparalleled spectacle" they promise. Ron described the acts as a "loose network of talented, renegade performers," who enjoy challenging themselves and the audience. "They take it to the edge and stick their toes over."

"We are doing everything by the book so we can do it again," Ron explained about the event planning. For me, and most of Fremont, this book does not resemble anything on the shelf. Acrobats, dancers, musicians, clowns, aerialists, comedians, magicians, jugglers and more belong to the stage not the page.

Step Back In History

In Ron's history, Creation of the Moisture Festival, he defines Comedy/Varieté "as performance with no limits on the imagination. Show business historian Legrande-Chabrier described it as 'a coalition of every kind of spectacle that is not theater.' It is an art form where audience enthusiasm implores the artists to express themselves and their skills in magnificent ways to the delight of all."

According to Ron the suppression, in England by Cromwell, of spoken word theater led to the creation of variety shows. Theaters, forced to find other ways to entertain their audiences, borrowed from the circus, the fair and music. This new style of show grew in popularity across Europe. When brought to America, we added our own flavor and called it Vaudeville.

"Whether one calls it Music Hall, Varietè, or Vaudeville" Ron writes, "the element they all have in common is that the scene, the setting encouraged the audience to interact thereby becoming a catalyst that kept the entertainment vital, new, loose, inspiring, and thoroughly enjoyable."

Land In Fremont

Local performers will build upon this history to create…the Moisture Festival. When I asked about the name Simon and Ron told me that many people read more into it than exists. Ron joked about declaring it the Damp Festival, and Simon disagreed, calling the word damp "too negative." As should be expected, a hilarious and thoroughly entertaining debate ensued over the various descriptions of our spring weather.

Simon, grown serious, told me that he sees this as "an effort to keep live theater alive." He's seen theater's resurgence and a rising call from Seattlites for more. From our dedication to save the Empty Space Theatre to our annual acceptance of the always outrageous Solstice Parade, I think Fremont, and the Chamber, have earned the right to host such an effort. Certainly, we in Fremont, and of course in the Chamber, always welcome more opportunities for frivolity and fun!

For more information on The Moisture Festival, check out www.moisturefestival.com

April 2005