'Dawson City was, hands down, the best festival I've ever played,' says Brad Keller, a musician with the Creaking Tree String Quartet.

'It was really something special, especially after coming from the city.'

Beautiful scenery, great weather, the long days and amazing hospitality were the reasons cited by the band for wanting to return to the North for the fourth summer in a row.

Last year, Creaking Tree prominently played at the Dawson City Music Festival. For the two summers prior, they performed in the Northwest Territories.

This weekend, they will be among the many bands headlining the Atlin Arts & Music Festival. In its fourth year, the festival has quickly risen to the level where it may eclipse Dawson as having the best northern festival of the summer.

Bandmate John Showman agrees with Keller's reasons for coming.

'The sky is beautiful here,' he said. 'You can see blue and see for miles and miles.'

From Toronto, and often described as being bluegrass, the band has a sound which is not so easily defined. Often fast-paced and experimental, Creaking Tree has a style which encompasses a wide array of musical disciplines.

'It's instrumental roots music with a lot of bluegrass,' said Showman, attempting to describe it.

'We got together jamming bluegrass and realized we had a lot more in common musically roots, classical, a lot of jazz and even a little celtic.'

The music is all original and composed by the group as a whole, said Keller, expanding on Showman's thoughts.

'Our lineup has the essentials of bluegrass instrumentation fiddle, bass, no drums or vocals,' he said. 'That's why people mostly associate us with it.'

One notable feature of their work is a lack of singing, as all the music is instrumental.

'It's like looking at a painting,' said Keller. 'The lack of words really conveys to the listener that it's open to interpretation.'

Showman jokingly added none of them are any good at singing.

'It's different that we don't sing,' he said. 'We're just trying to write really good music that people are going to like and accept.'

The festival's other out-of-territory acts are Terry Tufts, Don Alder, Ugly Stick, Leslie Alexander, Ceilidh Friends, John Spearn, Mamaguroove, Bluegrass 101, Jay Gilday, Gumboots, Bobs & Lolo and Ken Waldman.

These artists encompass a range of styles, including folk, roots, acoustic, jazz, country, celtic and funk. Most have played in the North before.

An equally diversely talented showcase of Yukon musicians consists of Brenda Berezan, Canyon Mountain Boys, Deja Blue, Simple Messengers, Kate Weekes, Gordie Tentrees and NESKA.

Festival director Stephen Badhwar is proud of this year's lineup.

'This year, we have an impressive lineup from across the western provinces and from as far away as Ontario,' he said. 'Since our motto is Celebrating Northern Culture', we continue to showcase our Yukon musicians and performing artists.'

He added this year Summit Air, which is based out of the Northwest Territories, is helping by flying in a special charter loaded with Yellowknife performers.

'This expands the scope of the festival and allows us to see and hear a greater array of the culture that the North offers,' he said.

Artistic director Rick Newberry was in agreement on what the festival had to offer musically.

'A tiny town to host,' he said. 'I'm excited to see them all because they are so different from each other, mostly how will they interact in workshops.

'For instance, we have Creaking Tree and Mamaguroove doing a joint workshop on twisting tradition.

'I can't wait to hear Don Alder. UglyStick is some high-energy celtic performing, almost celtic rock. Ceilidh Friends is pure traditional celtic, including acapella.'

Newberry was also excited about the lineup of Yukon music.

Mountain Boys are said to have really tightened up their performance and impressed a lot of people at this year's Alsek Musical Festival. Kate Weekes is also impressing listeners.

'And Rick Sward has evolved from Fishead Stew to a reggae band with horn section going by the name of NEKSA North End Klondike Space Agency,' says Newberry. 'His energy, and the talent he plays with, will be a hit.'

As the name implies, the festival also showcases art made in and around Atlin.

Atlin artists are exhibiting at the Courthouse this year.

'Maureen Morris will be exhibiting her carvings, Wayne Carlick exhibiting his Tlingit carvings and artwork, Judy Currelly has donated one of her paintings to a silent auction fundraiser for the festival,' says Newberry.

'There are also demonstrations of traditional cultural Tlingit artwork and the public is invited to paint a part of an old bench that will become reborn.'

Besides music and art, Newberry went on at length about all the other things the festival has to offer. They include a workshop, a slide show on northern aviation history, Andrew Connors' film Artifacts, the comedy of Sharon Shorty and Duane Ghastant Aucoin, and bellydancer Samantha Anderson.

For children, the festival is bringing in a special act, Bobs & Lolo, he added.

'Its an interactive performance with sing-a-longs, puppets and more.'

In addition to everything else, the layout for the main tent has been restructured to increase the musical experience, said Badhwar.

'This year we have given the beer garden a separate tent in order to reduce the noise level in the mainstage tent,' he said. 'This should allow people to sit back and relax and really listen to the quality music that is going to be happening here this weekend.'

Last year's festival was enormously successful in terms of attendance, but was also very over-budget, said Badhwar.

'The cost of putting on a festival in our small community is high, as nearly everything has to be trucked in from Whitehorse.

'This year we expect to tighten up our operation and improve the listening experience for the music-lovers in our audience it's going to be magic again.'

The festival will begin at about 7:00 this evening and continue until Sunday evening.

Though spread out over several venues across town, all are within a short walking distance of each other.

Most activities take place at Tarahne Park on the north side of the community, where there is also an abundant amount of space available for free camping.

For more information on the festival, visit its website at atlinfestival.ca.