by Hywel “Taff” Roberts, founding artistic director, Sandbar Storytelling Festival
Aren’t we fortunate to live in Winona, a small town with a burgeoning arts and culture scene? The 21st century has seen an explosion of arts organizations and initiatives here, including the Great River Shakespeare Festival, Laureate Writers Series, Boats and Bluegrass, Minnesota Marine Art Museum, Frozen River Film Festival, Minnesota Beethoven Festival, Midwest Music Festival, Hurry Back Productions, and the Sandbar Storytelling Festival. Next year, Masterpiece Hall will open its doors! These newer arts entities continue the traditions started by long-time organizations such as Winona State University, Saint Mary’s University, Winona Symphony and the Winona Art Center.
Local businesses have played a major role in supporting this art and culture. Large and small businesses such as banks, manufacturers, distributors, health care facilities, newspapers, retailers, restaurants, coffeehouses, nonprofits and more have joined individual donors to support our thriving arts and culture scene.
The city of Winona also supports our art and culture. Surrounded by natural beauty we can listen to the Winona Municipal Band lakeside, playing on Wednesday evenings in the summer. The Campfire Concert series at Prairie Island Campground is both free and open to the public, performed by professional musicians during the summer months. River City Dancers (supported largely by local businesses) puts on outdoor street dances a few times a year with a live orchestra on Third Street.
In early June, the Sandbar Storytelling Festival Business and Immigration Stories, along with the Winona County History Society, featured Amy Jo Marks presenting on her downtown Winona businesses. Despite earning a criminal justice degree, Amy Jo’s love of baking led her to create three eating establishments in downtown Winona: Blooming Grounds, Blooming Grounds Express, and Muddled Thyme. She inspired us with her resilience and persistence, rebuilding after a fire and delivering food to those in need during the pandemic.
Merchants Bank will share their 151st story on July 16, and representatives for the Bluff Country Co-op will regale us on August 13. Project Fine, Immigrant Stories will present on September 15. All programs are at the WCHS at 7 p.m. and are free to the public. Free will donations will go to the Sandbar Storytelling Festival.
I am grateful to the Winona Post for being a founding donor of our festival and featuring all that is happening in our town in the weekly paper, if you are not on social media!
Visit Winona also plays a vital role in supporting and promoting events.
Come and join us for the Sandbar Storytelling Festival October 7-11, at multiple venues: on the campus of Saint Mary’s University, the ARC, and Two Fathoms Brewery. We have a stellar lineup of tellers, including Dovie Thomason, who will share her Lakota and Apache heritage; Kevin Kling, a Minnesota award-winning teller; and Lynette Ford, a teller of folktales and Black Appalachian tales will present on stage. Jasmin Cardenas, an award-winning Columbian-American teller from Chicago, will join, as will Kim Weitkamp, who weaves her heart-filled tales on stages all across America will share their stories. Finally, Daniel Morden from Wales, who has travelled the world telling ancient traditional tales, will be on stage.
More information at sandbarstorytellingfestival.org.
See you in October!
