Icicle Creek Center for the Arts to host benefit bash May 28

Beneath the pines and under what organizers hope will be a forgiving late-May sky, the Icicle Creek Center for the Arts is preparing for an evening of music, fundraising and high-country glamour at its annual Benefit Bash on May 28.

The event begins at 6 p.m. at the Snowy Owl Theater campus in Leavenworth and promises what organizers describe as a "glittering evening under the stars," complete with live music, a live auction and the "Raise the Paddle" fundraiser benefiting arts education programs across North Central Washington. Tickets range from $30 to $75.

For one night, the arts center's forested grounds will trade their usual alpine tranquility for something closer to a mountain cabaret - part gala, part reunion and part excuse to wear the jacket that has been waiting in the closet since holiday party season. Guests can expect wine glasses clinking beneath the trees, conversations drifting through the canyon air and bidders discovering that generosity can become surprisingly competitive.

"This year, theme-wise, we got all new marketing, and it's really exciting, and it's like retro, kind of 70s vibe, 70s outdoor camping vibes," said Rhia Foster, program director for ICCA. "Everyone has been encouraged to dress up in all of their finest sequins and glitter and shiny things."

Rather than a traditional ballroom-style gala, the Benefit Bash unfolds as a progressive dinner moving guests throughout the center's various performance spaces. Along the way, attendees will encounter performances from the Welter Brothers, Bandits of the Animal Kingdom and the Central West Quartet, a student ensemble from Central Washington University.

"It allows us to showcase all of our venue spaces, which is really exciting," Foster said. "As you're progressing through and getting food and drinks, you're also getting different tastes of our venues and the music that we often host."

The fundraiser supports Icicle Creek's performances and educational programming, which reaches thousands of students and audience members each year through concerts, artist residencies and community arts experiences. The organization said donor support helps keep arts education programs accessible for children and families throughout the region.

For Foster, the evening's purpose extends beyond auction paddles and donor lists. She described arts education as the organization's "biggest pillar," particularly during what she called "an economically tough time and just sort of an uncertain time."

"This is one of the most important times that we as artists do what we do," Foster said. "Sharing that and spreading that joy and instilling that hope and making sure that we are giving that accessibility to our youth and our continuing learners ... is one of the greatest gifts that we can give."

Funds raised during the event will support summer camps, visiting artist programs and classroom outreach efforts that bring professional performers into schools throughout the region.

Hosting young musicians during the Benefit Bash serves as a reminder of why the work matters, Foster said.

"Being in space with young musicians who are working and striving toward their goals is really, really special," she said. "It helps with your heart, gives you a little hope, gives you a little bit of reason to keep showing up."

More information and tickets are available at Icicle Creek Center for the Arts' website: icicle.org.

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This story was originally published May 25, 2026 at 12:31 PM.