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Sawtooth Salmon Festival Returns to Stanley by Alaylia Wilson Idaho Mountain Express, August 22, 2025

Event will celebrate the journey of salmon
to Idaho's Redfish Lake

The Sawtooth Salmon Festival, presented by Idaho Rivers United and the Sawtooth Interpretive & Historical Association, will return to Stanley Aug. 22-24.

Each summer, the free community event honors the 900-mile migration of salmon from the Pacific Ocean to Redfish Lake in the Sawtooth Mountains. It blends science, culture, music and outdoor fun.

The weekend will kick off Friday evening at the Stanley Museum with a talk on salmon recovery and river restoration, followed by storytelling and a round of salmon trivia at the Kasino Club. Later that night, the San Francisco band Good Friends will take the stage for an afterparty show.

Saturday's programming will begin with a tour of the Pettit Lake Creek dam hosted by the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes. Activities will continue throughout the day with family-friendly activities at the Stanley Museum, hands-on dissections at the Stanley Community Library and the main festival at Mountain Village Resort.

There, vendors, raffles and live music will be set against the mountain backdrop while guests explore discovery stations, join walking tours or board a shuttle to Buckhorn Bridge for salmon viewing.

Cultural performances by Shoshone-Bannock dancers, in addition to art-making sessions and raffles, will round out the afternoon. The evening will feature a screening of "The Grand Salmon" at the Stanley Community Center, followed by more music and a late-night outdoor replay of the film at Mountain Village.

On Sunday, the festival will wind down with a morning yoga session on the Mountain Village lawn before shifting into educational tours.

Attendees can travel to the historic Sunbeam Dam site with festival founder Tom Stuart or learn about post-fire recovery during a talk at Stanley Lake. The weekend will close with live music by The Canyon Kids at Redfish Lake Lodge, giving visitors one last chance to celebrate Idaho's wild salmon in the heart of the Sawtooths.

The festival's website offers a frequently asked questions page to help visitors plan their weekend. Common topics include directions and parking, accessibility, how to participate in tours or raffles and opportunities for volunteering or vending.

By weaving together cultural traditions, conservation education and community celebration, organizers say, the Sawtooth Salmon Festival is set to offer a vibrant tribute to the salmon heritage that has long defined Idaho's rivers and landscapes.

More information and a complete schedule of events can be found online at sawtoothsalmonfestival.org.

Related Pages:
Stanley Festival Focuses on Saving Salmon by Steve Benson, Idaho Mountain Express, 8/26/5