STORY AND PHOTO BY KAREN BOSSICK
The Sun Valley Wellness Festival is on the move.
The festival will mark its 21st year by moving its dates from Memorial Day Weekend to June 29 and 30 and July 1 and 2 in 2018.
And it’s moving its venue from Sun Valley Resort to the Community School Campus in Sun Valley.
“We’re aiming for a wellness campus-like environment where attendees can take part in some classes outside surrounded by aspens. It’s a really good fit for learning and wellness,” said Festival Director Heather LaMonica Deckard.
“It’s quite exciting,” added the Wellness Festival’s new president Andria Friesen. “The campus exudes an energy towards growth, learning and connection with state-of-the-art facilities—all surrounded by nature.”
Keynote speeches will remain at Sun Valley where they have the option of being held at the 1,500-seat Sun Valley Pavilion, the 700-seat Limelight Room or the 250-plus seat Sun Valley Opera House.
The Community School Theatre offers a 318-seat state-of-the-art auditorium. And the two-year-old Hagenbuch Hall offers two 80-seat classrooms—one with kitchen facilities for cooking demonstrations, which is something organizers have long wanted to do.
In addition, there is a 125-seat amphitheater along Trail Creek, which will give attendees a chance to connect to nature while learning from speakers. And the new venue will allow organizers to invite in food trucks and other local food providers who can provide festive, healthy offerings.
One of the reasons for the change, Friesen said, was the fact that airlines fly into the community only from Salt Lake City and Seattle during Memorial Day Weekend. Moving the festival to mid-summer will make it easier for people to get here from Chicago, Denver, Oakland, Portland and Los Angeles where summer- and winter-only flights originate.
The ability to bring more people in by air will eliminate extra costs associated with arranging for rental cars for speakers to drive from Boise and Salt Lake City.
“We asked, we begged the airlines to fly here over Memorial Day Weekend. But we got a ‘No,’ ” said Friesen.
Friesen said she expects second homeowners who spend summers here to take part in the festival. She also expects the summer dates to attract more visitors from outside the area.
“I’m astounded by how many secondary residents had not heard of the Sun Valley Wellness Festival. But that makes sense because they aren’t here when it’s going on,” she said.
The festival has grown each year since it started 20 years ago at the former Elkhorn Resort, said Festival Director Heather Lamonica Deckard.
Last year’s festival drew about 4,000 people, with some counted more than once. More than half of those came from outside the Wood River Valley, Deckard said.
Past speakers have included Arianna Huffington, Elizabeth Gilbert, Marianne Williamson, Jewel and Robert F. Kennedy. Friesen and Deckard said they’re not at the point they can announce the 2018 line-up yet.
“My feeling is the level of speakers and the quality of programming and workshops are too important for such a small community,” Friesen said. “We could have kept small, but it grows each year. Change can be difficult for some folks but I’m really excited.”