STORY BY SABINA DANA PLASSE
The Sawtooth Valley Gathering returns for its 11th year for an exceptional, curated music and festival celebration at the foot of the majestic Sawtooth Mountains along the beautiful Salmon River in Idaho’s most-loved mountain town of Stanley, Idaho.
Kicking off the weekend at the world-famous Stanley Street Dance on Ace of Diamonds Avenue, followed by 21+ late-night shows at Mountain Village Resort and Kasino Club on Thursday, June 18. These shows are included with the weekend and single-day pass, with the campsite opening earlier that day.
On Friday, June 19, and Saturday, June 20, the Sawtooth Valley Gathering will feature the usual programming, including early shows at Mountain Village Resort, full days of music at Pioneer Park and late-night shows at both venues that require a separate ticket.
In honor of the summer solstice and Father’s Day on June 21, Railroad Earth will perform two sets at Mountain Village Resort. Railroad Earth first appeared at the 2019 Sawtooth Valley Gathering. Also, Andy Frasco & The U. N. is back after a short-notice headlining slot in 2024 to close out the main stage.
“I’m always amazed when some of the most treasured bands that have played our main stage want to return to the Sawtooth Valley Gathering,” said founder James Fowler. “There’s nothing like Railroad Earth, and playing two sets on a Sunday, in addition to its Saturday night performance, makes this a double special occasion and 2026 a festival to remember. It will bring all of us together for what we love most.”
The list of exciting returning bands continues with Built To Spill, one of Idaho’s most influential bands. Founder Doug Martsch, considered a godfather of modern indie rock, will perform for the first time since 2022.
BALTHVS is a three-piece band from Colombia making its debut with a distinctive blend of psychedelic funk, global grooves, Middle Eastern melodies, spiritual jazz improvisations and Latin-tinged rhythms—world music at its finest. High Fade, a three-piece power-funk band from Scotland, will also make its debut in Stanley.
Steve Poltz, the legendary folk singer and a Sawtooth Valley Gathering favorite, will perform three sets of his brilliant, raucous, joyous and improvisational chronicles of life and everything, offering yet another chance to catch one of his unique and unforgettable performances.
It’s been some time since Shook Twins took the stage at the Sawtooth Valley Gathering, and these talented sisters are returning to rock. In addition, there will be more great music from Todd Sheaffer, Jenny Don’t and the Spurs, The Sweet Lillies, Blood Lemon and Lena Marie Schiffer.
The Artists-At-Large for 2026, who always make the Sawtooth Gathering Valley extra special and add to an unforgettable music experience, are Allie Kral and Railroad Earth’s own Carey Harmon, John Skehan, Matt Slocum and George Guthrie. There are many more bands to be announced, including the not-to-be-missed late-night shows.
Sawtooth Valley Gathering has welcomed a wide variety of artists to the stages at Pioneer Park in Stanley during its history, including Billy Strings, Leftover Salmon, Keller Williams,
Dumpstaphunk, Margo Price, Fruition, ALO, Daniel Rodriguez and MarchFourth.
Fans can expect to encounter familiar artists and meet new acts in a variety of settings, from the Stanley Street Dance to the festival main stage at Pioneer Park, situated on a hilltop affording a 360-degree view of the incomparable Sawtooth Valley.
Festival days start with workshops and early sets and finish with nightly late-night shows at Velvet Falls Dance Hall in the Mountain Village Resort and Kasino Club.
Since the first Sawtooth Valley Gathering, for every festival pass purchased—whether one-day, or four-day— a donation has been made to nonprofits, including the Stanley School
Parents Association, the Stanley Sawtooth Rural Fire Department, Sawtooth Search & Rescue and the Salmon River Clinic. SVG11 will continue the tradition of giving back. A $4 donation is split among the nonprofits.
For tickets and more information, visit https://sawtoothvalleygathering.com/.