First started as a street dance in 1999, Live on Winnebago was run by Scott Hervey for seven years before it died out. Last year, organizer Caleb Ulring asked Hervey’s blessing to reboot the festival, remembering his fond experience with the day as a kid. Together, a team of musicians, artists and other creatives made this new iteration possible. The festival featured a stage of various musical acts entertaining two streets worth of juried and community artists, as well as numerous activities for kids and families.
“This is a celebration of community artists, of local and regional music,” children and family organizer Sophie Nall (‘22) said. “It’s really to celebrate us and the people who live here and give them an opportunity to dance and have a good time.”
The board also focused on exposing people to new regional artists and musicians. Six musicians played one-hour sets over the course of the day, while a dozen visual artists sold and presented their work at art fair booths. To find these entertainers, the organizers searched across the region for diverse voices.
“I hope to bring different music into Decorah and have a new experience, new art, new music, new things for people to see and get excited about,” music director Casey Nelson said.
The visual artists featured in the festival felt the impact of this goal. Lots of the artists, which included juried professionals, local community members and a Luther student, used the festival to introduce their work to new viewers and to strengthen relationships with the community. The abundance of guests at the festival made this possible.
“I grew up here, so it’s just been really nice to connect with a good handful of people that I’ve known my whole life,” juried artist Zoe Klosterwill said.
Beyond Decorah locals, many of the guests at the festival were Luther students and their family members. This is because the organizers intentionally chose Luther’s Family Weekend to host the festival.
“We want it to be something that invites Luther students to downtown and makes that connection,” arts director Jeanine Scheffert explained.
“Decorah is a vibrant, fun atmosphere for their student or child,” marketing director Hannah Tulgren (‘18) added. “We can help showcase that.”
Another one of the organizers’ big goals was accessibility. The festival was free to attend and easy to get to, right in the heart of Decorah’s downtown. Luther students could access the event by riding a shuttle set up by the college’s Student Senate.
The organizers’ commitment to accessibility meant there were activities for all age groups. Some activities for younger attendees included a cardboard fort, a community mural, and a juggler. Many Decorah locals have fond memories of Live on Winnebago as children, which the organizers hope to recreate with the revival.
As Scheffert puts it, “We want kids to remember it the way that the people we know remember it: this insane day of art and wacky, weird, fun things and dancing.”
The festival will be back next year, and the organizers already have lots of ideas to realize. But they’re also open to new ideas and involvement, especially from Luther students. According to Nall, Luther art students, music students and willing volunteers are all welcome.
Scheffert agreed, saying, “Live on Winnebago has this atmosphere that can evolve. I want to say [that] Live on Winnebago is an open invitation.”
