Parachute Days x KWMR
Outdoor Community Concert Series ‘Parachute Days’ to Celebrate KWMR West Marin Community Radio
On Sunday, October 12, 2025, a celebrated outdoor community concert series will return to downtown Point Reyes Station for a special cause: local radio. Parachute Days x KWMR: A Fundraiser for West Marin Community Radio is an all-ages, family-friendly concert in the parking lot of Toby’s Feed Barn, featuring indie rock, honky-tonk, and a high school mariachi band, plus oysters, tacos, and refreshments, from 2 p.m. until 7 p.m.. Sliding scale tickets start at $20 and will be sold at the door.
Founded in spring 2016 by local artist Gabe Korty, Parachute Days was envisioned as an outdoor collaborative arts space beneath a billowing parachute tent with music, visual and performance arts, libations, dancing, and communal joy. After a six year hiatus during the pandemic, the series returns with a grant from the Pirkle Jones Fund with performances by three local acts that reflect the cultural spectrum of West Marin: George-ish Jones-like, Mariachi Lobos De Elsie Allen High School, and Good Friends. A post-concert after party will be held at the Old Western Saloon across the street, with funky retro beats spun by DJ Barbarella, former host of KWMR’s wildly popular, “Barbarian Beach Party.”
“I’m thrilled to have won the Pirkle Jones Grant, especially to use it to give back to KWMR and other local non profits. KWMR was always helping with Parachute Days from the very start and I see it as an essential, integral and invaluable part of West Marin that deserves our support. I hope we can keep working together every year from here on out.” A native of Point Reyes Station, Korty uses wood and other natural materials to construct a temporary, geometric art installation that provides a stage and backdrop for Parachute Days performers, and an awe-inducing, immersive setting for the audience.
KWMR is a full-powered FM station that serves the rural North San Francisco Bay region of West Marin with more than 100 programs, the majority of which are locally produced by volunteers, and provides critical information during natural disasters and emergencies. The station also reaches listeners worldwide via kwmr.org and streaming platforms. KWMR recently lost more than 25% of its annual funding with the closure of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, forcing the station to trim its budget and cut back on syndicated programming.
In August, the station partnered with its loyal listeners to launch a grassroots “Long Live KWMR” campaign, and encouraged donors to boost their giving by 25% to make up for the loss of federal funds. This campaign drew the attention of several regional publications, including the Marin Independent-Journal, The Point Reyes Light, and Pacific Sun magazine, with features and editorials that encouraged Marin residents to rally around what many recognize as a vital resource and a local treasure.
The “Long Live KWMR” campaign has successfully made up the gap for the 2025-26 fiscal year, although the station will have to continue to double down on fundraising without federal support. But now, it’s time for West Marin to celebrate the community’s successful effort to save its very own, surviving and thriving public radio station.
KWMR is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and a vital resource for building and sustaining our West Marin community. It stands ready to serve in times of emergency, airing locally relevant information and entertainment to listeners, creating a forum through which every voice can be heard. Our station offers instruction and experience in radio production and broadcasting skills to members of all ages. KWMR broadcasts over the air at 90.5 FM Point Reyes Station, 89.9 FM Bolinas, and 92.3 FM San Geronimo Valley, or by streaming via our website, kwmr.org, or KWMR mobile app.
Gabe Korty has been practicing analog photography, music, and visual arts since the age of 15. He began building sets for plays around the same time and over years he grew into the creative carpenter and sculptor he is now. His work gained public attention and renown with the advent of Parachute Days in 2016, which he successfully crowd funded and organized with support from West Marin locals. Photo: Danny Vitali
Georgeish Jones-like is a West Marin band that plays honky-tonk and country, and teaches 2-step dancing, featuring Connor Maguire, Isaiah Mead, Dylan Jones, Bronwen Murch, Travis Lang and Dan Bass.
The Mariachi Lobos of Elsie Allen High School in Southwest Santa Rosa are a rising symbol of pride, culture, and resilience in the community. Under the direction of Mr. Efrain Nava, these talented students — many from low-income families — have worked tirelessly to build a program that honors the rich tradition of mariachi music.
Good Friends is Jerome Porter and Eva Parr- two tender hearted weirdos with an affinity for songwriting and singing harmonies. Their music rides the line of strange and familiar, somewhere you swear you’ve been before but just can’t place. They live in Bolinas, California and write folk songs about the great mystery, the human condition, and their dogs.
DJ Barbarella is the alter ego of Katie Eberle, a Marshall, California resident who produced more than 50 episodes of “Barbarian Beach Party” starting in 2015 on KWMR. DJ Barbarella’s gift for getting bodies on the dance floor is legendary among West Marin locals, while her selections draw on years-long research into rare vinyl and out-of-print releases from around the world and back.