Since 1988, the Winthrop Rhythm & Blues Festival has attracted top national and regional blues acts. As the longest-running, most successful blues event in Washington state, the Winthrop Rhythm & Blues Festival has had a positive economic impact on the surrounding community and, in the past decade, has made more than $50,000 in cash grants to regional arts, education, and social service organizations. Under the nonprofit management of the Winthrop Music Association, which was formed in 2005, the festival has thrived, with attendance of over 30,000. In 2014, the festival was put to the test as the largest wildfires in Washington history consumed more than 250,000 acres and 300 homes just a few miles from the festival. In the midst of this disaster, the festival went on as scheduled, but more importantly provided a safe haven for dozens of local residents who had fled the wildfire. Its Beer Garden raised over $6,000 for the Cove Food Banks fire relief effort, and many performers donated portions of their fees to that effort.
