Each year, the Treefort Music Fest transforms downtown Boise into a living reflection of the city’s creative community. While the musical talent on the multitude of stages draws crowds, the deeper culture of Treefort is shaped by the people who have come together with organic origins rooted in local station, Radio Boise. Since its inception in 2013, Eric Gilbert, festival co-founder and director, has collaborated with others in the community to transform Treefort into a collective act of creativity—guitars echoing down alleyways, conversations rising above the steady hum of the crowd. Those involved in sub forts including Alefort, Foodfort, and Yogafort reveal how locals bring their passions, labor, and love together to create an authentic, inclusive experience.
For Alefort, that culture begins with hospitality. Jackie Elo of Amphora Wine Company describes Treefort as a rare convergence of people and passions, saying, “It’s beautiful to see people from so many walks of life and so many different passions all coming together at a festival that has a little something for everyone.” Her long career in the beverage industry led her to notice an early gap—wine had no dedicated champion. When she joined the team as wine coordinator seven years ago, she helped create programming from the ground up, shaping wine experiences with the same care already given to beer and cider.
Jackie’s work—curating wine selections from Idaho and beyond, organizing pop-up tastings, and training volunteers—adds warmth to Treefort’s atmosphere, where the scent of poured reds and crisp whites mingles with nearby food stalls. Reflecting on her role, she emphasizes both joy and teamwork, stating, “The Alefort team is the hardest working and most passionate group of amazing humans… it’s amazing to see everyone having so much fun and all of us loving and helping each other create this awesome tasting experience.” Alefort becomes not just a place to enjoy a refreshment, but a space where care, expertise, and community intersect.
Foodfort carries that same sense of intention through food. Under the leadership of Dave Yasuda, Foodfort is grounded in long-standing relationships with local chefs, producers, and organizers. One of its most influential collaborators, Idaho’s first James Beard award-winning chef, Kris Kamori of KIN, articulates the deeper purpose behind his involvement. “We’re more than a restaurant,” he explains. “The way we structure our entire model is to support the people that work here.” For Kris, Foodfort is about connection—between people, ingredients, and place, set against the sizzle of grills and the layered aromas of street food drifting through the venue.
That philosophy is echoed by Katy Osuna, assistant director of Foodfort and co-founder of Copper & Heat, who sees the sub fort as an evolving gathering point for Boise’s food community. “We want the restaurant community to continue to connect and grow,” she says. Her journey—from Boise kitchens to Michelin-starred restaurants and award-winning food media—feeds directly into Foodfort’s mission. Behind the scenes, she and Dave coordinate with Kris and others to bring chefs, food producers, and community members together through events like the Foodfort Showdown, KIN Kitchen Demo, and Street Eats.
Yogafort offers another layer to Treefort’s culture: restoration. Starting with Marisa Radha Weppner, a longtime member of the Boise community, Yogafort grew organically from her connection with Boise’s community radio roots and her belief that festivals should also offer space to reset. Reflecting on Boise itself, Radha notes, “If you show up, you’re passionate and get things done, the community welcomes you in.” That openness shaped Yogafort’s beginnings—starting with small, DIY classes and becoming one of Treefort’s first official sub forts.
Treefort’s support allowed Yogafort to evolve, shift locations, and adapt through challenges like COVID-19, always with community needs at the center. For Radha, Treefort is inseparable from her life’s work: “It’s everything. It’s everything coming together.” Directed by her best friend Celeste Bolin, Yogafort blends music, movement, wellness, and service into spaces where people feel safe and welcomed—quiet moments punctuated by breath, soft instruction, and the distant rhythm of festival music. A longtime volunteer, reflecting during a Yogafort meditation, shared that “we can just get together and forget what’s going on around us for awhile.”
Together, forts like Alefort, Foodfort, and Yogafort show how Treefort is built from the ground up by locals who invest their time, skills, and hearts year after year. Volunteers, long-time attendees, first-time visitors, and creative partners all contribute to a shared sense of belonging.
As evening settles over downtown, music carries between stages while a line forms at a food stand and someone pauses, glass in hand, to take it all in. Nearby, a yoga session closes in quiet stillness before the crowd folds back into the streets. In that moment—between sound and silence, movement and rest—the shape of Treefort comes into focus: a community gathering, built year after year by the people who return to it.
Treefort matters because of community and being able to get together in a place where you’re not judged and can express yourself. — Girl in Purple