A new kind of gathering takes flight at The Hilltop

The briefing

The Hilltop in the Columbia River Gorge opens Aug. 22 for the inaugural SOAR Festival, a one-night event combining music, performance, science and environmental themes. The festival is the first public expression of Vince and Carol Bryan's larger vision for a nonprofit cultural destination built around arts, science, environment and human experience. The program features the Wenatchee Valley Symphony Orchestra, Broadway vocalist Katharine McPhee and producer David Foster and Friends.