The festival began in 1994 in
Marysville, California by organizer Warren Smith. Citing problems with crime in its initial location, organizers moved the festival to
Angels Camp, California in 2001. The festival settled in its current location (Boonville, CA), where it has operated since 2006. Despite the festival's name, its primary focus is on
reggae music, along with a secondary focus on
world music acts. The festival boasts a "valley stage" (main stage), "village stage" (secondary stage), dancehall and drum circle, which can all feature music running concurrently. Along with its many other veteran acts, the SNWMF is notable for being the first to bring
Junior Byles abroad, whereupon he performed a 45-minute set in for the festival in 1998. There was no festival from 2020-2022 due to the
COVID-19 pandemic, with founder Smith dying in 2021. Festival returned in 2023, carried on by his wife Gretchen. However, disappointing ticket sales in 2024 forced a cancellation close to the start date, with would-be attendees told that the passes were good at
Reggae on the River event in the
Humboldt County, California in lieu of a refund. ==See also==