Driftless Music Festival returns to Eckhart Park in Viroqua, Wisconsin
Going on its 10th year and after a two-year hiatus, the ever popular, free eclectic music, the Driftless Music Festival (DMF) returns to Eckhart Park in Viroqua on Saturday, July 9. Billed as “A Festival for All”, the family-friendly festival will host four bands, feature local food vendors and showcase the Viroqua community, while providing an opportunity to be exposed to sounds, ethnicities and cultures not always present in a small, Midwestern town.
The DMF Facebook page states in part, that the festival started in 2012 on a sunny July Saturday in Viroqua’s Eckhart Park, thanks to community spirit and support. The stage was set. The professional sound system was working. The temperatures eased into the mid-80’s. More than 500 hundred people wandered into the city park to enjoy the diverse sounds of our regional talent line-up and the company of other music lovers. Young and old showed up with folding chairs, blankets, dancing shoes, picnics, children, and dogs. People enjoyed delicious foods prepared by local vendors. Some stayed for the entire 9-hour program. Others drifted in and out. Everyone felt fortunate to be sharing a community event with such a bevy of musical talent. It was truly a highlight in Viroqua’s cultural history.
This year’s performances will start around 1pm with McNasty Brass Band, a collection of Minneapolis/Saint Paul based horn players and percussionists that fuse the Minneapolis sound with the spirit of New Orleans.
At 3:00pm, Kendra Swanson will take the stage bringing her lively, folksome music: frailing banjo, rigorous guitar, soulful strings, and hearty vocals to boot.
Following Kendra, around 5pm, Tani Diakiti and the Afrofunksters will fill the park with West African blues with funk and rhythm. Tani is a musical force who has inspired an entire community of artists. When playing, the interplay between Kamale N'goni and jembe grooves so hard that audiences can't stay still - the urge to get up and move is powerful.
Bringing it home at 7pm, Ryan Necci and The Buffalo Gospel will carry the audience into the summer night with their heartfelt and heartbreaking Country & Western and Americana arrangements. With a stellar cast of local and national musicians, critically acclaimed Buffalo Gospel delivers wholly original material that manages to feel utterly timeless. With their harmonies and top-notch songwriting, Buffalo Gospel will leave you spellbound.
“We are thrilled to bring back the Driftless Music Festival this summer,“ said Christina Dollhausen DMF president. “As always, audiences of all ages can expect top-notch, quality music, of different genres. That is what sets our festival apart. In one place, all in one day, you can hear a funky brass band, some groovy African funk, award winning Americana music and so much more. We’re so thankful for the local businesses, individuals, as well as the Viroqua Tourism Council for their support in helping bring back our free live music festival to our community and our guests!”
Viroqua, Wisconsin is nestled in the heart of the Driftless area in Vernon County. According to the festival’s website, the Driftless area is a region in southeastern Minnesota, southwestern Wisconsin, northeastern Iowa, and the extreme northwestern corner of Illinois, of the American Midwest. The region escaped glaciation during the last ice age and, consequently, is characterized by steep, forested ridges, deeply-carved river valleys, and karst geology characterized by spring-fed waterfalls and cold-water trout streams. Ecologically, the flora and fauna of the Driftless Area are more closely related to those of the Great Lakes region and New England rather than those of the broader Midwest and central Plains regions. Colloquially, the term includes the incised Paleozoic Plateau of southeastern Minnesota and northeastern Iowa. The region includes elevations ranging from 603 to 1,719 feet at Blue Mound State Park and covers an area of 24,000 square miles. The rugged terrain is due both to the lack of glacial deposits, or drift, and to the incision of the upper Mississippi River and its tributaries into bedrock.
Gates to the festival open at 12pm, music will start at 1pm and continue all day until 9pm. This free festival is very family friendly, bringing chairs and blankets are encouraged. Local vendors at this year’s festival will provide a variety of food options, including pizza, BBQ, tacos, ice cream and local beverages, including Driftless Brewing Company. All vendors use local and regional sources as much as possible in their products.
For more information visit driftlessmusicfestival.com
