busk•er, n. \"bəs-kər\" one who plays music or performs for voluntary donations in streets or subways. ORIGIN Mid-17th century: From obsolete French busquer ‘seek,’ Italian buscare or Spanish buscar, of Germanic origin. Originally of nautical use in the sense of ‘cruise about,’ and later meant ‘go around selling,’ hence ‘go around performing’ (Mid-19th century).
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Bring friends and family to downtown Ellensburg for the 2013 Buskers in the Burg festival, featuring free outdoor concerts and performances, kids activities, a giant puppet parade, street performers, and Saturday’s exclusive reunion show by Ellensburg’s own Open Country Joy. The high energy Celtic Folk punk group, The Bog Hoppers will be kicking off the evening concert. An information booth will be set up at the corner of 4th Avenue and Pearl Street the day of the festival.
New to the festival this year is an exclusive Friday evening show featuring a preview of Saturday’s performances. Admission will be limited, get your tickets early!
Entertain the kids with free inflatable bounce rides, face painting, pony rides, chalk art, and childrens crafts. Stroll the local shops and galleries while enjoying the entertainment of numerous busker acts at street locations throughout the downtown. Visit the Kids Activities page for a list of all activities for Buskers in the Burg.
The festival kicks off on Saturday morning with an awe-inspiring parade featuring giant robots strolling through the Farmers Market. We are excited to welcome Seattle artist Brian Kooser back to Ellensburg. Kooser will be hosting a series of workshops throughout the summer, allowing community members of all ages to build their own creations. Together, Kooser and participants will celebrate their hard work in a parade through the Farmer’s Market in downtown Ellensburg at 10:30 am.
Last year, Buskers in the Burg filled the streets with over 25 street performers. Explore the diverse talents from across the region. Vote for your favorite busker act and listen to the winners perform briefly on stage before kicking up your heels at an evening street dance. For a list of buskers and locations, visit the Performers page. If you are interested in busking at this year’s festival, visit Become a Busker page.
The day’s activities will end with a free outdoor concert that you won’t want to miss. The three best buskers, as determined by your vote, will kick things off at Kelleher Motor Co. Seattle-based Celtic Folk group The Bog Hoppers will keep the energy high before Ellensburg favorite, Open Country Joy, reunites onstage. A beer garden will be available to those 21+. Don’t miss this free opportunity to kick up your heels and enjoy an evening out in downtown Ellensburg.
