SANDPOINT - From Huey Lewis and the News to Nickel Creek, it promises to be another stellar season for The Festival at Sandpoint.

The Festival at Sandpoint celebrates its 32nd annual summer concert series, Aug. 7-17, showcasing eight nights of eclectic music under the stars, on the shores of Lake Pend Oreille.

n Thursday, Aug. 7: Opening Night stars indie folk-rock sensation The Head and the Heart.

The Seattle band's debut, self-titled album, recorded on the local Sub Pop label, with hits like "Lost in my Mind," "Rivers and Roads," "Down in the Valley," and "Coeur d'Alene," began to reach audiences all over the U.S. and the rest of the world.

Fellow Seattlites Mikey and Matty, who are touring with the band this summer, will open the show.

All tickets are $39.95. Brew tasting tickets are available for $10 - which includes a commemorative pilsner glass and premium microbrew tastes. Brew tasting starts when gates open at 6 p.m. Concert starts at 7:30 p.m.

n Friday, Aug. 8: The Festival welcomes one of America's great rock 'n' roll bands, Huey Lewis and the News.

Formed from two rival Bay Area bands in 1979, Huey Lewis and the News continues to thrill audiences worldwide, selling more than 20 million albums in the process.

These Grammy Award winners have written and performed such classic Top Ten Hits as "Heart of Rock & Roll," "Stuck With You," "I Want a New Drug," "Hip To Be Square," and "If This Is It." The 1985 hit film "Back to the Future" featured the Academy Award-nominated worldwide smash hit "The Power of Love."

Sandpoint's own Miah Kohal Band will open the evening. All tickets are $59.95. Doors open at 6 p.m. and the concert starts at 7:30 p.m.

n Saturday, Aug. 9: The reunited Grammy Award winning roots-music trio Nickel Creek returns to Sandpoint to headline a Super Saturday show with special guests Head for the Hills and Pear.

All tickets are $54.95. Gates open at 4:30 p.m. and the music starts at 6.

• Sunday, Aug. 10: Festival family concert, "Musical Magic"

It's musical fun for the young and young at heart, as The Festival presents its family concert "Musical Magic" featuring the Spokane Youth Orchestra and Sandpoint's Studio 1 dancers. Favorite pre-concert activities include the instrument petting zoo, where kids can try out various instruments with guidance from high school musical mentors; an animal petting zoo, pony rides, clowns, face painting, games galore and the popular "parents' corner," where moms and dads can take a break from the chaos for a complimentary mini-massage.

All tickets are $6. Activities begin when the gates open at 4:30 p.m. and the performance starts at 6:30 p.m.

• Thursday, Aug. 14: Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue

Come see what one of the hottest concert tickets of the year is all about. Special guests Galactic, a collaborative quintet with a unique format, high musicianship and a nearly telepathic connection, will get the good times rolling, whisking the audience around the neighborhoods of New Orleans to feel the Mardi Gras moment in all its variety and flavors.

All tickets are $39.95. Gates open at 6 p.m. and the concert starts at 7:30.

Please note: This is a dance show. The Festival venue will be configured differently for this concert to allow for an increased dancing/standing area in front of the stage. There will still be adequate sections for blankets, low chairs, high chairs and reserved patron and sponsor seating, as well as seated availability in the grandstands. The dance venue map can be viewed online at www.festivalatsandpoint.com.

• Friday, Aug. 15: Ray LaMontagne

Mega popular singer-songwriter Ray LaMontagne says his musical epiphany came as he worked in a shoe factory in Maine where he heard Stephen Stills' "Tree Top Flyer" piped through the factory sound system and was inspired to follow his musical inclinations. He soon had a record deal with his debut album "Trouble," and its title track, topping the charts and garnering critical acclaim.

His voice, which has been compared to Tim Buckley, a young Van Morrison, Joe Cocker and Ryan Adams, has continued to gain a following on his subsequent albums "Till the Sun Turns Black," "Gossip in the Grain," "God Willin' & the Creek Don't Rise" and his most recent release, "Supernova."

All tickets are $64.95. Doors open at 6 p.m. and the concert starts at 7:30.

• Saturday, Aug. 16: Super Saturday featuring Montgomery Gentry

When these two Kentucky boys, Eddie Montgomery and Troy Gentry, busted onto the national scene in 1999 with their defiant "Hillbilly Shoes," country music fans took notice of the hard driving duo. Since then, they've gone on to become one country music's all-time greatest duos and scored 14 Top 10 singles with five hitting No. 1: "Something to be Proud of," "If You Ever Stop Solving Me," "Lucky Man," "Back When I knew It All" and "Roll with Me."

All tickets are $54.95. Gates will open at 4:30 p.m. and the music starts at 6 p.m.

• Sunday, Aug. 17: Grand Finale concert, featuring the Spokane Symphony Orchestra.

Gates open early at 4:30 p.m. for the annual "Taste of the Stars" wine tasting, which is complimentary for all concert goers over the age of 21 years. The concert starts at 7:30 p.m. and tickets are $39.95 for adults or $10.95 for youth 0-18 years old.

Individual tickets to all shows go on sale starting at 9 a.m. today, May 15, at The Festival at Sandpoint office, 525 Pine St., in Sandpoint.

Tickets are available for purchase online at the Festival's secure website, www.FestivalAtSandpoint.com. Phone orders may be placed by calling the Festival office locally at (208) 265-4554 or toll free (888) 265-4554. Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover cards, personal checks and cash are accepted. Tickets are also sold at all TicketsWest locations, or by calling 1-800-325-SEAT.