2020 Fest Canceled due to Covid-19

It is with much sadness that I must announce the cancellation of the 2020 Great River Folk Fest. As many festivals around the world have had to do, we have come to the conclusion that we cannot adequately plan for a safe gathering at Riverside Park this August. As we reviewed the information available today and the many different projections for containing Covid-19, our Steering Committee voted to cancel the 2020 Fest as we know it.

We will continue meeting and strategizing for ways to pull the community together and keep music, food, and arts in our lives in some fashion during our Fest weekend and beyond. We are already doing music outreach to care facilities, and we are excited about moving our annual Songwriting Contest to an all on-line format. We have a passion for the musicians, crafters, food vendors, sponsors, and the many people who have welcomed the Folk Fest into their lives over the years. We intend to continue being the best long-running folk festival in Wisconsin for years to come.

Please stay in touch with us through Facebook and our web page for news and ways you can keep supporting the Festival, our musicians, and our vendors.

Stay safe,
Dave Schipper
Chair, Great River Folk Fest

Songwriting Contest now Online

The 2020 Songwriting contest has moved online to our Facebook page. Video submissions will be taken via Facebook throughout the summer, with finalists squaring off for prizes in August. See our Contest page for details.

GRFF Joins Web Radio Station

Great River Folk Fest Radio, a one hour, weekly, online radio show can be heard Monday’s from 5 - 6 p.m. on Ocooch Mountain Music radio. Each week, GRFF chair Dave Schipper plays music from past Fest performers as well as upcoming performers. Themes for upcoming shows will be posted on our Facebook page.

Occoch Mountain Music is a 24-hour online radio station with shows focusing on American, bluegrass, indie rock and other genres, with an emphasis on artists from the Midwest and the Ocooch Mountain region (the driftless area of Wisconsin, Iowa, and Minnesota). Listen through the Occoch Radio app (available on Apple and Android devices) or online at OcoochMountainMusic.com.

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