News

Idyllwild Strong benefit festival kicks off today

Published August 17, 2018 7:55 AM

A benefit concert to raise money for communities affected by the 13,139-acre Cranston Fire, which burned for two weeks in the mountains between Hemet and Mountain Center, will be held across a dozen Idyllwild venues starting today.

The three-day “Idyllwild Strong” concert will feature more than 40 musical acts and items available for auction and raffle through Sunday.

The town-wide concert is free and open to all ages, but donation stations will be set up at each venue for guests to contribute to victims of the Cranston brusher. Proceeds will be distributed to victims tax-free and all donations made will be tax-deductible, according to the event’s organizers.

“The community has banded together after the fire, but many people are still in dire need of help, especially those who lost everything in the blaze,” organizers said in a statement. “This festival will bring much-needed revenue to the local businesses of Idyllwild, as well as provide relief for those victims who need it most.”

The concert kicks off at 3 p.m. Friday, with Saturday and Sunday’s shows beginning at noon. Raffles will be held before the headlining acts, who will perform at the main stage at Idyllwild Town Hall. Other acts will perform at various businesses throughout the town.

For more information on the benefit festival, click here.

The fire was allegedly sparked around noon July 25 by 32-year-old Temecula resident Brandon McGlover, who faces 15 felony arson counts. Thousands of residents in the mountain communities of Idyllwild, Mountain Center, Lake Hemet, Pine Cove and other surrounding cities were forced to evacuate their homes as the blaze raged for just over two weeks, destroying a dozen homes and injuring three firefighters. The fire was fully contained on the evening of Aug. 9.