Guide to 10 subforts at Treefort Music Fest

The development of its subforts keeps this festival growing and thriving with creative gatherings that explore and celebrate everything from apps to dance, film to comedy. Here’s a peek at some of what’s happening this year.

Comedyfort

WHEN/WHERE: March 24- 27, Liquid Laughs, 405 N. 8th St.

WHAT: A mini-comedy festival within the music fest, featuring more than 30 local and national comics.

DON’T MISS: This year’s headliner is David Huntsberger. This comedy nerd will bring his witty, sci-fi comic spin on the world to Boise for Comedyfort. He’s the co-host of the popular “Professor Blastoff” podcast and host of the SyFy Channel’s “Reactor” show. Huntsberger will perform a 30-minute set at the end of each showcase that will feature six comics, each performing their best 10 minutes. Shows are at 8 p.m. March 24 and 27, 8 and 10 p.m. March 25 and 26.

TICKETS: $10 for Thursday and Sunday, $12 for Friday and Saturday at LiquidBoise. com and at the door. Free for Treefort pass holders. (21 and older only). Find a full schedule at below. com.

Filmfort

WHEN/WHERE: March 23 -27, The Owyhee, 1109 W. Main St., and The Flicks, 646 Fulton St.

WHAT: Indie film festival will screen 22 local, regional and international films with discussions and Q&As by 16 visiting filmmakers.

DON’T MISS: The Boise premieres of Cody Gittings’ “Smoke,” based on Boise writer Alan Heathcock’s short story, and Christian Lybrook’s “Carbon,” the short he made as the first winner of the Sun Valley Film Festival’s One Potato Film Initiative. The Boise filmmakers’ work will screen together at 6 p.m. March 23 at The Owyhee. Music lovers will want to catch “A Band Called Death,” a rockumentary about three brothers in Detroit whose band was rediscovered and now is thought to be the first punk band. It screens at 4 p.m. March 24 at The Owyhee.

COOL CROSSOVER: The “Story to Screen” panel discussion co-produced with Storyfort features Heathcock, Craig Lew, Gittings and others at 2 p.m. March 26 at The Linen Building, 1402 W. Grove St., Boise.

Filmfort badge: $20 at TreefortMusicFest.com/ tickets . Free for Treefort pass holders.

Hackfort

WHEN/WHERE: March 23-27, at The Owyhee, 1109 W. Main St., and Trailhead, 500 S. 8th St.

WHAT: A celebration of everything tech with seminars, discussions, creative networking and an annual hack competition to build new apps.

ORGANIZERS: Filmfort organizer Jordan Noel Hawkes, Boise State University Associate Vice President of Communications Greg Hahn and Treefort partner John Michael Schert

DON’T MISS: The Short Sessions, 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. March 25 at The Owyhee. Speakers include Twitter’s Emily Sheehan, who will share tips for software development and Boise artist Cody Rutty who will talk about the 3-D computer modeling he uses to create 2-D paintings. This year’s Hackathon focuses on getting around the Treasure Valley, inspired by a pitch from the Boise Bicycle Project.

COOL CROSSOVERS: The Filmfort screening of “The Power of Glove,” a doc about the impact of Nintendo’s Power Glove, happens at 8 p.m. March 23 at The Owyhee, with filmmaker Q&A to follow. For kids, Micron’s STEMbusUSA will be on hand for fun with science. For bigger kids, BoiseLAN will hold a group gaming event from 9 p.m. March 26 into the wee hours of March 27. Sign up at BoiseLAN.net.

HACKFORT-ONLY BADGES: $20 at TreefortMusic Fest.com/tickets . Free for Treefort pass holders.

Kidfort

WHEN/WHERE: March 25 -27. The Kidfort Teepee will be at 12th and Grove streets .

WHAT: A kid-centric, hands-on musical performance and art experience.

DON’T MISS: This year’s Kidfort Road Show “Life on Mars” is inspired by David Bowie. (The cast comes from a TRICA Spring Break Camp. Find out how to join at TRICA.org.) Performances are on the half hour from 6:30 to 8 p.m. March 25 and 26. Drop in at the teepee from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on March 25 and 26 and learn about the Dadaist art movement that inspired Bowie’s music with hands-on crafts. Get a Bowie-style makeover and help complete a giant unicorn sculpture.

COOL CROSSOVER: The Music Fest will open its main stage area up for the Kidfort Easter Egg Hunt from 9:30 a.m. to noon March 27. Kids will hunt in age groups, youngest to oldest. Some eggs will contain “golden tickets” that are redeemable for cool prizes.

Kidfort is free.

9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday, March 21, to Friday, March 25, with performances on March 25 and 26. Camp is held at the Garage Studio, 1312 N. 17th St. Boise. It’s $325 per child. Financial assistance is available. No child will be turned away for inability to pay. TRICA.org and 344-2220.

Performance Artfort

WHEN/WHERE: March 23- 27, at the Hideout inside Alefort and other locations throughout festival area.

WHAT: Street performances and dance, music and theater on stage.

DON’T MISS: SepiaTonic, a fusion of EDM and classic vaudeville out of Portland. You’ll find belly dance, quirky characters and a mix of variety acts at Pengilly’s at 9 p.m. March 25. Also, keep your eyes open for “Live Art!” — several pop-up art projects that will happen in and around the main stage area. You’ll see technology-infused, large-scale puppetry, aerial acrobatics, double-dutch jump rope and more interactive art projects.

COOL CROSSOVER: Some of the dance/music collaborations have outgrown the Performance Artfort venue and will be part of the Treefort Music Fest mix this year. Last year, LED (dancer Lauren Edson and musician Andrew Stensaas) launched their “This Side of Paradise” collaborative dance/music/film project that culminated with a performance at the Morrison Center in October.

This year, their project is “This Way to the Egress.” It features performances by Edson and fellow former Trey McIntyre Project dancers John Michael Schert, Brett Perry and others, and musicians Stensaas, Ryan Peck, John Fricke and more. It’s at 10:30 p.m. March 24 at The Rose Room, 718 W. Idaho St., Boise. (You’ll need a Treefort pass or ticket for this performance.)

Performance Artfort is free.

Skatefort

WHEN/WHERE: Noon to 5 p.m. March 26 outside The Modern Hotel, 1314 W. Grove St .

WHAT: Laid-back exhibition of skateboarding and punk music.

DON’T MISS: The action as skaters take to rails, boxes and ramps and other obstacles for demonstrations organized for and by the Boise skateboarding community.

See teams from Prestige and The Boardroom throughout the day.

If you want to skate, you’ll need to sign a waiver. Kids are welcome with a parent-signed waiver. The band Grindline will play at 5:30 p.m. March 26 at the Modern.

Skatefort is free.

Storyfort

WHEN/WHERE: March 24-27, at The Linen Building second floor, 1402 W. Grove St.

WHAT: A literary happening that brings together locally and nationally known voices in poetry, prose and narrative-arts.

DON’T MISS: “Cocktail Stories,” a conversation about Boise’s growing bar scene with three noted local mixologists from 4 to 6 p.m. March 25. Learn about “Viral Idaho” stories from area journalists (including the Statesman’s Anna Webb and Bill Dentzer) from 1-2:30 p.m. March 24. This year’s headliner is Chelsea-based performance artist, poet, novelist and arts journalist Eileen Myles, who will share tales from her storied career as well as her latest work from noon to 1 p.m. March 26.

COOL CROSSOVER: The comedy podcast “That Baseball Show” will produce its first live broadcast at Rediscovered Books, 180 N. 8th St., with musical guests “The Knitts” from 5-7 p.m. March 26. The Knitts also will play at Treefort at 8:30 p.m. March 26 at the Mardi Gras Ballroom, 615 S. 9th St., Boise.

Storyfort is free.

Alefort

WHEN/WHERE: 3 to 8 p.m. March 25; noon to 8 p.m. March 26; noon to 7 p.m. March 27, outside the Treefort Main Stage entrance.

WHAT: With 15 local breweries, two local cideries and five local retailers, this tented brew festival is all about Boise beer culture. Most of the beers served are unusual as opposed to brews you see in everyday settings. An 8-ounce pour costs one token ($2.50). Occasionally, select high-alcohol beers will come in smaller pours. A Treefort wristband is not required for entry.

WHAT’S NEW

▪  Foodfort will be located inside the Alefort tent. It will provide local noshes that often complement (and soak up) beer.

▪  The Hideout, an area connected to the Alefort tent, will feature “mini-discussions” that will appeal to beer geeks (and food aficionados). “Why Freshness Matters” (2:30 to 3 p.m. March 27), a hops-focused talk, will be led by Woodland Empire Ale Craft president Rob Landerman. You’ll be able to taste and compare Pallet Jack IPA (Barley Brown’s Beer, Baker City, Ore.) from a super-fresh keg and from a year-old keg.

DON’T MISS

▪  In celebration of Bittercreek Alehouse’s 20th anniversary, staffers collaborated with six breweries on six special beers. Examples: Woodland Empire’s Down the Road, a grapefruit rosemary kombucha saison; Boise Brewing’s Treez Nuts, a hazelnut porter; Payette Brewing’s Fine and Dandy, a dandelion root and honey brown ale.

▪  Two non-local beer options shouldn’t be ignored. Boise’s Bier:Thirty will tap a keg of California-based Firestone Walker Brewing’s 2015 Parabola on March 25. Also, Boise restaurant Prost will tap some interesting German beers all three days.

▪  A ceremonial tapping of six or more firkins will occur at noon March 26. Let the beer erupt!

Foodfort

WHEN/WHERE: 4 to 8 p.m. March 25; noon to 8 p.m. March 26; 1 to 5 p.m. March 27, near the 12th and Grove Main Stage entrance.

WHAT: A “food fête and forum,” this culinary haven is located in the traditional Alefort tent area. Treasure Valley chefs will use lots of Gem State-sourced ingredients to create small bites. A Treefort wristband is not required for entry. Food will cost one to two tokens. Tokens are $2.50.

WHAT’S NEW: The entire event. It makes total sense to incorporate a food element into the Alefort tent, so expect plenty of crossover between Alefort and Foodfort attendees. (Pairing tip: On March 27 at Alefort, grab a sample of Boise Brewing’s Treez Nuts, a hazelnut porter, then buy a hazelnut ice cream sandwich cookie from Bittercreek Alehouse at Foodfort. They were made from the same batch of hazelnuts. Mmmm.)

DON’T MISS

▪  Beer-braised duck on polenta with heirloom tomato jam from Richard Langston at Cafe Vicino; red beans and rice with kurobuta pork shoulder and kale from Aaron Wermerskirchen at Juniper; and potato gnocchi with mushrooms and truffle butter from Alex Cardoza at Wild Plum Events and Eats.

▪  Ever eaten at critically acclaimed State & Lemp? Here’s your chance to get a taste of what normally is a spendy dining experience. State & Lemp will serve during the 4 to 8 p.m. time slots March 25 and 26.

▪  Food-centric panels and conversations will take place in The Hideout, a separate area at the north end of the tent. They’ll range from “The Future of Idaho wine” (4:30 to 5 p.m. March 25) to “Defining the Word ‘Local’” (2:30-3:30 p.m. March 26) and “The Rising Tide of Third Wave Coffee” (12:15-12:45 p.m. March 27 — and includes coffee). More: treefortmusicfest. com/foodfort .

Yogafort

WHEN/WHERE: March 25 -27, The Rose Room, 718 W. Idaho St., and Woodland Empire Ale Craft, 1114 W. Front St.

WHAT: Treefort’s first and longest-running subfort is a synthesis of mind-body-soul movement and live musical performance.

DON’T MISS: The return of Los Angeles-based yoga power duo Marti Nikko and DJ Drez. Drez will perform with Boise’s Corevette Dance, a performance art and dance troupe, at 8:15 p.m. March 25. Get the full Nikko/Drez deal at at 1 p.m. March 25 and 3:30 p.m. March 26.

Also, check out “The Yoga of Mantra and Sacred Singing” with Sheela Bringi and bassists Brent Kuecker. All events are at The Rose Room.

COOL CROSSOVER: Bay Area ambient EDM artist Christopher Willits will perform for Yogafort’s opening ceremony with yoga instructors Marisa Weppner, Celeste Bolin and others at 10:45 a.m. March 25. Then catch him at Treefort at 7 p.m. March 25 at Boise Contemporary Theatre, 854 Fulton St., and midnight March 26 at The Rose Room. And he’s giving a talk about the tech he uses to produce his music at Hackfort at 4 p.m. March 25 at Trailhead, 500 S. 8th St.

Yogafort-only badges: $55 at TreefortMusic Fest.com/tickets .

This story was originally published March 17, 2016 at 5:08 PM with the headline "Guide to 10 subforts at Treefort Music Fest."