A recent Oak Harbor High School graduate is showcasing the local alternative music scene with a new festival this weekend.

Saturday, Windjammer Park will host System Crash Music Festival featuring performances by 15 different bands and artists from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Several of the acts set to perform are products of the high school’s music program, and all of the money raised through donations will be collected for the OHHS Band Boosters.

William Gray, a 2024 OHHS graduate now studying music industry at the University of Southern California, understands the importance of supporting the people and programs which cultivate the area’s diverse music scene. That’s why he set out to organize the event.

“There’s a lot of bands that start from the music programs at school because it puts you in this little area where you’re all close to similar musicians, people who love music just as you do,” Gray said. He participated in Jazz and Symphonic Band at the high school. “I’ve seen a couple bands, such as Kick Brass, sprout from that. My band, Second Line, has sprouted from that.”

Although the city has a large music festival already, the Oak Harbor Music Festival, Gray said he wanted to create a space for younger, more alternative bands to perform in front of a large audience.

Local food trucks and vendors, like Orlando’s and the Hive Salon, can be found at the festival as well.