Sustainability, Community, and Music

The annual Folk Festival was originally organized by John Everatt, Tom Perry, Chuck Perry, and Pop Wagner (above) in 1968. They were students at Northland College at the time and little did they know that the event would continue for so long.

Now organized by the Northland College Student Association (NCSA), Folk Fest celebrates forty-nine years this year, solidifying its place as Wisconsin’s longest lasting folk festival. The event will take place on campus April 15-17 rain or shine.

Musicians include: Pop Wagner, Plucked up Strong Band, Charlie Parr, We Are the Willows, Michael Gulezian, Pushing Chain, Evan Hestekin, the Northland Chamber Choir, and student bands.

Organizers have chosen themes of sustainability, community, and music. NCSAe Special Events Coordinator Marissa Neitzke is looking forward to implementing these themes in every aspect of Folk Fest, starting with designating the festival as a “zero landfill waste” event.

Joining forces with NCSA’s Sustainability Work Group, led by senior Parker Matzinger, Neitzke hopes to make every aspect of the festival, from signage to concessions, as low-waste as possible, incorporating recyclable and reusable materials at every level of organization.

Accompanying various live performances of both acoustic and amplified music is a local arts bazaar and memorabilia T-shirts designed each year by a Northland College student, in addition to several new events this year such as workshops, a collaborative service project, and local food concessions.

“One of our goals this year is to bring several different groups to campus, focusing on diversity in the community,” said Neitzke.