Entries to the 2026 MAKE MUSIC DAY Photo/Video Contest are now closed.
Winners will be announced on or before August 1, 2026.
About the Contest
We invited your best photos, videos, and favorite moments taken on the day of event, June 21, 2026.
Winning images
will be selected in 3 categories:
• Best Photo
• Best Video
• Best Captured Moment
outside of a scheduled jam, workshop, or concert
1st place winners in each category will receive a $100 prize.
RAFFLE and FESTIVAL “PASSPORT” Entry winners will also be announced on or before August 1, 2026.
Prizes include music lessons with local artists and songs composed or performed for someone you love.
MAKE MUSIC DAY East Jefferson County is a FREE FESTIVAL made possible by Songwriting Works Educational Foundation and our supporters.
It truly takes a village behind the scenes to make the magic happen county-wide. Whether you contribute as a musician, venue host, sponsor or volunteer — your involvement keeps the music going!
Contributions in any amount are still needed for 2026, and to help us
seed Make Music Day 2027.
THANK YOU!!
On June 21
MAKE MUSIC DAY
E. Jefferson County offered free music lessons, workshops, concerts, jam sessions, song and drum circles, open mics and instrument giveaways throughout the day.
The Cotton Building
at 607 Water Street in downtown Port Townsend was Festival Headquarters.
Below you’ll find a sampling of what’s happened there from 10a-10pm.
We hope to see you next year!
The Festival is Free. Volunteers help out
year-round to make it happen.
Donations of any amount are always welcome.
WHERE IT HAPPENED IN 2026
15 VENUES hosted scheduled events, concerts, workshops, and jams. Lots of spontaneous music popped up as well from street corners and porches to the bunkers at Fort Worden State Park.
ADA Scheduled Venues were:
Port Townsend - Downtown:
#1 Cotton Building
607 Water St.
FESTIVAL HEADQUARTERS
10am-10pm
Indoors
#2 Teaching Tent
behind the Cotton Bldg (venue #1)
FREE LESSONS
1130am-1pm, 5-6pm
Outdoors
#3 Pope Marine Plaza, 100 Madison St.
Bucket DRUMMING, HARMONICA Blow-Out, SALSA
1145am-145pm
Outdoors adjacent to Cotton Building, in fron of the Pope Marine Bldg
#4 - Pope Marine Building - 100 Madison
WKSPS, SINGING, YOUTH OPEN MIC, ROCK!
Noon-5:30pm
Indoors
#5 - Key City Public Theatre, 419 Washington St.
VOCAL WKSP, PIANO, OPEN MIC
Noon-4pm
Indoors
#6 - Healing Sound Studio, 441 Washington
SONG BATHS and BIO-FIELD TUNING. Sign up for 1 to 1 demo sessions
Indoors
#7 - Vintage Wine Bar, 724 Water St. MUSIC on the PATIO, Waterside
Outdoors
#8 - Tyler Plaza, Water St. at Tyler, Waterside
BUSKING STAGE
12-5:30pm
Outdoors
#9 ChetzaMoka Park and Gazebo, Blaine St. at Jackson, Uptown
JAM SPACE
Noon-5:15pm
Outdoors
#10 TAPS, 300 Eisenhower, Ft Worden
4-6pm ROCK/COUNTRY
Outdoors
#11 Fairwinds Winery, 1984 Hastings
Town outskirts, heading toward Jacob Miller Rd.
PIANO, MENTORING,
POP BAND, CELTIC and CLASSING GUITAR
12-5pm
Outdoors
#12 Chimacum Sunday
Farmer’s Market
9122 Rhody Drive
FOLK, ORIGINALS, OPEN MIC
10am-145pm
Outdoors
#13 Finnriver Farm & Cidery, 124 Center St., Chimacum
Solstice Salmon Day
ECO-MUSIC FUN - hands on workshops and music-making with young people, 12-3pm
Outdoors
BALKAN CHOIR, 5-7pm
Indoors
#14 Q Gardens, 71 Old Church Rd, Quilcene
FOLK and OPEN MIC
12-4pm
Outdoors
#15 Resort at Port Ludlow, 1 Herod Road
FROM CELTIC and CLASSICAL to SQUEEZBOX and TANGO
3-8pm
Indoors on the Veranda
All featured festival venues are ADA accessible.
Venue details, artist bios and responsive maps can be found on our national Make Music Alliance page: https://makemusicday.org/ejeffcowa
MAKE MUSIC DAY is a project of Songwriting Works Educational Foundation,
a 501c3 charitable organization based in Port Townsend.
WHAT IS MAKE MUSIC DAY?
On SUNDAY JUNE 21st, MAKE MUSIC DAY RETURNED TO E. JEFFERSON COUNTY.
MAKE MUSIC DAY is a free, multi-site, spontaneous day of music participation. Musical artists and music lovers of all ages, skill levels, and styles of sound will come together to play, sing, teach, learn, receive free instruments and celebrate the first day of summer with music. In 2026, venues in Port Townsend, Quilcene, Chimacum and Port Ludlow hosted concerts, workshops, sing-a-longs, jam sessions, and more, indoors and out.
All featured festival venues are ADA accessible.
MAKE MUSIC DAY HISTORY
43 years ago in France, Jack Lang and the French Ministry of Culture imagined a new kind of musical holiday: Free music everywhere—in streets, parks, gardens, on rooftops, at storefronts—open to anyone wanting to play or host. NamedFête de la Musique,(“festival of music” and “make music,”) the festival took place on Summer Solstice, June 21st. It became a national tradition that now spans the globe with 2,000+ cities and towns worldwide.
18 years ago MAKE MUSIC DAYNew York picked up the baton. From these grassroots, Make Music Day has blossomed into a nationwide movement across the U.S.
MAKE MUSIC DAY first came to PORT TOWNSEND in 2016 and expanded to E. Jefferson County in 2017 and 2018 with more than 800 participants and 27 venues county-wide. After a “pandemic pause” Make Music Day returns to E. Jefferson County!
photo credit: Unexpected Brass Band, MMD 2018
With your support, REGISTRATION TO PERFORM, TEACH or HOST will re-open on February 28, 2027.
