Fourth Corner Punk Fest will Return in 2026.

A message from our Founder

To The Fourth Corner Punk Family,

It has been about a week since the fest.

My 40+ year old body is finally rested from the 18-20 hour days of set up, day-of and tear down.

My mind has calmed from the 9-month manic anxiety fever pitch it was spinning at from the moment we decided to move forward with the fest at this new scale.

The pictures from the fest are starting to trickle in from the various photographers on site (of which Ill be posting soon) and I’ve had a moment to reflect on the event while looking at the day with fresh eyes.

As I see photos of the hundreds upon hundreds of people of different ages, genders, nationalities, countries and various punk sub-genres, I am absolutely humbled with the gratitude I feel towards this musical community.

To me, Punk Rock has always been a home for music with a message.

A meaning.

A foregoing of the mainstream fluff in exchange for a culture that strives to make our world a more equitable place, while providing a haven for those persecuted by it.

Our tattoos. Our Mohawks. Our Studded jackets. The armor needed to defend our small corner of the radio dial where songs were allowed to be angry, to be a form of protest, to be question marks directed at tradition alone as a justification for anything.

This fest and the people who attended have reminded me of that.

I hope in some small way Fourth Corner Punk Fest was that for some of you.

There are seemingly endless people I need to thank for helping make this a reality.

First and foremost, my wife who never for a moment second guessed the financial risk we were about to undertake for following this dream. For unbegrudgingly picked up the slack around our home while I choked on the giant bites that were more than I could chew. And for lovingly dealing with an even more stressed out and grumpier than usual husband. Not to mention the many hours she herself put into the fest. I love you deeply.

There aren’t enough thank yous I can type about the team at EVIL. To Joe, Jason, Cole, Kevin, Louisa and the entire crew for riding with me on this idea without hesitation.  For their die-hard work ethic in getting their campus ready for a type of event that it was never meant for. The fest ran smoothly in more than large part because of you. I hope every punk rocker in the PNW who needs a bike from now on knows that EVIL is the reason we were able to pull this off. I have spent countless hours in their shop overhearing the way this company cares about the people of Bellingham. From the kid just starting out on the mountain, to the passer by that needed air in their tire. EVIL goes above and beyond what it means to be a local business. Run by locals for the locals. And their eagerness to put on this fest for the PNW is just an extension of that.

To our sea of volunteers – there is no Fourth Corner Punk Fest with out you. That is not hyperbole. We simply could not have operated without you donating your day to the fest.

Thank you to Davy from Boxcutter and the Pyrate Punx for running the BLI stage so seamlessly. This fest is meaningless if we can’t showcase local music and because of you we could.

To Brandon from Sky Mt Creative & Ali for all your amazing graphic art, most of the time done for free, thank you for your creativity.

Thank you to our sponsors and vendors for being an island of “yes” in an ocean of “Nos”.  

To Becky and Liet Unlimited, thank you for printing our shirts, banners and stickers in record time and responding to my insane turnarounds with joy and excitement.

Thank you to Groove Merchant and Northwest Backline for providing stage and sound to a festival runner who may or may not have known what he was doing most of the time.

To my brothers in Warp Detour, thank you for being the first page in this new chapter of my life, for giving me the support and help to get this thing rolling 3 years ago and being the backbone of every consecutive year.

Thank you to our 13 bands from near and far for showing up to a fledging fest and absolutely killing it. I’ve written and erased dozens of cliches about what your contribution means to me and this scene, but I think it’s best to leave the lyrics to you.

Thank your to our tattoo artists who worked tirelessly for 9 hours to make sure everyone who wanted a tattoo got one.

And lastly, thank you to every single person who took a chance and bought a ticket. Some of you showed up to a town you’ve never been to before, to a fest you’ve never heard of, to a scene you weren’t part of.

The day was peaceful, inclusive, joyous and fun.

I operated Fourth Corner Punk Fest this year as a break-even event.

A labor of love.

That love was returned in spades.

Every band was paid to play and kept 100% of their merch sales. The tattoo artists operated on site free of charge to FCPF or EVIL.

Virtually everything from the tent rentals to the t-shirt printing to the stage to the posters to the beer you drank was sourced from a local Bellingham small business.

Bellingham is FCPF’s Home, and the punk community is the family we share it with.

Fourth Corner Punk Fest will return in 2026!

Until then - support your local scene, buy a t-shirt, go to a show.

I just might see you there.

- Jesse.

Founder – Fourth Corner Punk