The unassuming town of Carnation, Washington, is gearing up to host Modest Mouse‘s inaugural Psychic Salamander Festival this September 13 and 14. Home to just 2,279 people, the small town farm venue promises an intimate festival feel, a bit of an oxymoron when considering the usual music festival formula.
Psychic Salamander Fest will take place four months before Modest Mouse and friends set sail on their Ice Cream Floats cruise tour. The cruise will set off on February 5, 2026 and return on February 9. Kurt Vile and The Violators, Mannequin Pussy, Built To Spill, Fidlar, and more will join Modest Mouse on the open ocean as the cruise sails from Miami, Florida, to Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic.
In the meantime, the Psychic Salamander Fest lineup is looking like a nostalgic indie-rock dream. Hosted by Modest Mouse, of course, the lineup also includes The Flaming Lips and Built To Spill on Saturday, September 13. Additional acts include Courtney Barnett, The Vaudevillian, and Mattress.
On Sunday, September 14, the lineup features Modest Mouse once more, this time performing the 2000 album The Moon & Antarctica in full. The Flaming Lips will also take the stage again, performing their 1999 album The Soft Bulletin. Additional artists include Sleater-Kinney and Yo La Tengo, along with Friko and Sun Atoms.
Modest Mouse Hosting New Psychic Salamander Festival In Small Washington Town
Psychic Salamander Festival will take place at Remlinger Farms in Carnation, Washington. Remlinger Farms is a working farm and amusement park in the small town, specializing in local produce, corn mazes, U-Pick fields, and other outdoor entertainment.
The farm is listed in the Local Legacies Project archives of the Library of Congress, meaning it took part in the documentation of local traditions and practices during the library’s 200th anniversary in 2000. Remlinger Farms has evolved since its inception in 1965, adding a market, theater, and a petting zoo, along with the Tolt River Railroad Steam Train Ride.
According to the festival website, parking is free with a ticket purchase, while children under 12 can attend for free. Additionally, concert-goers can come and go as they please during the festival weekend with the relaxed re-entry policies.
Tickets are available now on the official Psychic Salamander Festival website. Interested fans can also learn more about the venue, accommodations, food and drink options, and general policies for the festival.
Photo by Sarah Anne Cohen/Getty Images
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