Returning to the @winthropblues Festival this year was more than just a pop-up event—it was a homecoming.

Returning to the @winthropblues Festival this year was more than just a pop-up event—it was a homecoming.

Winthrop holds a special place in my heart. Back in 2015, Jill and I had just met and she suggested I bring FauxyFurr Vintage to the festival as a vendor and set up shop.

I rolled in with the White Knight (my 1999 E350 cargo van), a 10x10 canopy and garbage bags full of boots. We sold a couple thousand dollars that weekend, and I was hooked.

The next year 2016, Jill and I showed up with a pop up trailer and for the next four summers, we looked for that Winthrop magic in other places.

The music, the people, the sunshine, the hustle. Winthrop gave us a taste of something that felt both wild and meaningful.

We chased that feeling across the Pacific Northwest until 2020, when we paused the trailer life and began building something permanent—a brick n mortar.

We were ready for people to come to us, and now they do.

A few weeks ago in 2025 we loaded up the White Knight again, this time with a 10x20 pop up tent and lots of hats, and over the three day festival in Winthrop, I hand-shaped straw hats to order under blue skies while live music filled the air.

From @theheavyheavy of the UK (AMAZING!) to @diggindirtband from Northern California (MIND BLOWING), the sounds were electric and my experience watching them perform is unforgettable.

People were thrilled to get custom-fit sun hats made right before their eyes. It was the kind of experience that reminded me why I started this crazy journey 10 years ago. I felt alive.

For those of you who have yet to experience this festival - GO!

@winthropblues will recharge your soul.