GREAT RIVER FOLK

This past weekend marked the 43rd annual Great River Folk Festival and rain moved some events elsewhere but no matter what folks got some great music, a juried craft fair with traditional folk art demos, ethnic and traditional food, interactive children's activities, song swaps, a performance by the 12 finalist songwriters and a favorite, audience participation with both singing and dancing (Sue Hulsether, Prairie Smoke and Friends and the Winona International Dancers) 

The fest's newest project, the Great River Folk School exposes our area youth to folk instruments and their style. Their week long workshops culminated with public performances. Very cool indeed.

In Riverside Park 4 different tent stage areas with both local and national names on the weekend schedule performing: 

Pert Near Sandstone
Them Coulee Boys

Yellow Bellied Sapsuckers

Pat Ferguson
Dead Horses
Luke Callen
Willy Porter and Carmen Nickerson
Five Letter Word
The Yellow Bellied Sapsuckers      
Peter Mulvey 
Nathan Kilen
Pigtown Fling String Band
Laura Joy
Jordan Tice
Tom Draughton
Slash!
Andy Hughes
Erin Hussey 
Liz Rog
The Parrishes            
Nelson Magic

and for the kids:

Bluff Country Tale Spinners
Abby Lee
Michael Scott
Nick Langseth
The 3 Dads
Teri Holford

Look on youtube for many of these performers and you can get a sampling of the diversity and quality we heard from some very talented folk musicians.

Rain or shine, they all shared their love of the folk arts...

and for those of us who were lucky enough to hear them perform, we can only guarantee the future of the Great River Folk Festival by encouraging you all to tell your friends and come next year!

Laura Joy ( 2017 songwriter award winner)