Gift box with headphones

In a year that has seen Americans divided over politics, racism and a global pandemic, the Christmas season can give us all a time to come together and bond over our favorite songs of the season.

Either that, or you’re about to jingle all the way to the insane asylum after two or three (or four) months of decking the halls and chestnuts roasting on an open fire.

OK, so holiday music is divisive too. But it doesn’t have to be the same old, same old. Musicians have put their spin on their favorite holiday songs for almost as long as these songs have been around, and have churned out new Christmas classics over the years.

If you’re a musician doing one of those two things right now, 4 Peaks Music Festival wants to hear it. The long-running Bend festival is hosting a holiday song contest for musicians in Central Oregon and beyond to show off their best original holiday song or reinterpreted classic.

“We all kind of sit around and laugh at holiday tunes and new Christmas tunes,” Gregg Morris, 4 Peaks’ marketing and partner sales director, said. “But on the same side, when you start making fun of them, you realize that there are some you really love, and almost everybody has a different one. For me, hearing Joni Mitchell sing ‘River’ is just awe-inspiring. So what we wanted to do is take that to the next level and see what other people have out there.”

The contest launched in November and submissions will be accepted through Sunday, with the winner announced Monday. To enter, singer-songwriters should post a YouTube video of their performance of the song and share it with 4 Peaks through social media using the hashtag #4PeaksNewHolidaySong.

“(We’ve gotten) mostly originals, which is great,” Morris said. “As a songwriter myself, I love to see originals. People are really taking this to heart and showing us what they’ve got, and they’re really coming up with some creative stuff. We have stuff that’s themed toward the pandemic or COVID, and we have other stuff that’s just about the holidays and about how people feel about the holidays.”

The contest is open to everyone, everywhere, not just Central Oregon residents. One winner will receive a prize package featuring 4 Peaks merchandise and gifts donated by Bend Cider Company, Bevel Brewing Company, KPOV, El Sancho, Southern Accent and Bend Roots Revival. Morris, 4 Peaks Executive Director Stacy Koff and Chief Operating Officer Sean Miller will judge the contest. Visit 4peaksmusic.com for more information.

Like most musical entities in Central Oregon and across the country, 4 Peaks was forced to cancel this year’s festival after the statewide lockdown in March. The 13th 4 Peaks was scheduled in June with a lineup featuring Grace Potter, Lettuce, JJ Grey & Mofro and more.

In lieu of the festival, 4 Peaks hosted Virtually 4 Peaks. The streaming festival featured headlining performances from past years at 4 Peaks, including festival favorite Poor Man’s Whiskey, Greensky Bluegrass, Billy Strings, Ron Artis II, Los Lobos and more.

“We couldn’t believe the traffic we got with that, quite frankly,” Morris said. “I think people were really just jonesing for some music. But that turned into this Blast from the Past video series that we’ve been doing.”

Blast from the Past videos are uploaded to 4peaksmusic.com every other Wednesday and feature past 4 Peaks performances alongside set lists, band members and a short essay or review about the performance from one of the 4 Peaks team.

Additionally, 4 Peaks’ website now features an event calendar compiling live stream events across Central Oregon, with plans to expand to events across the state and eventually the West Coast. As for a 4 Peaks return in 2021, the festival, like the rest of the music world, is playing a waiting game.

“Summer Solstice has been our time to shine for over the last decade,” Morris said. “While we would like to be out dancing and listening to music with our friends, we want our fellow music lovers to remain safe and healthy. We have a lot of ideas and hope 2021 will be ready to see and hear them.”