People Fest! A magical birthday weekend at Driftless Music Gardens

People Brothers Band (who host the fest) brought the fire and love Saturday night

The Driftless Area of Wisconsin is a unique and scenic region characterized by its rugged terrain, steep hills, deep river valleys, and untouched natural beauty. Unlike much of the Midwest, the Driftless Area was never covered by glaciers during the last Ice Age, leaving its ancient landscape intact. This untouched region is home to winding rivers, limestone bluffs, dense forests, and spring-fed streams, making it a paradise for outdoor enthusiasts.

It was paradise for Billy and me as we ascended upon the gorgeous retreat, taking in its vibrant music and cultural scene for a weekend at Driftless Music Gardens for the epic People Fest 2024! People Fest is one of three music festivals at Driftless, the final of the summer season after Bonfire and Boogie Fest. The venue also hosts ticketed music events, weddings and more. It was a funky festival, hosted by Madison's People Brothers Band, featuring a ton of great musicians in funk, Americana, rock, country and hip hop. There was so much soul, you could feel it in your bones.

At the top of the hill, we had an incredible view of the main stage

The Sounds of People Fest

We had to work Thursday morning, so we missed the first several acts but arrived in time to drop off our new (to us) 1969 Aristocrat Lo-Liner camper trailer and take the short trek to the tent stage. We were eager to hear Chicken Wire Empire, a fun bluegrass Americana band that we've seen before. They were jamming out and we nestled through the small crowd so we could dance along!

After, we headed past the artisan vendors and food trucks and up to the main bowl, where the brand new stage stood tall, in preparation for Keller Williams - a quirky one-man band with the most fun tunes, who hit fame in the 90s. We brought our blanket and laid it out in front of the sound tent for the perfect view. There was plenty of room to move and dance in front of us and behind us on the large rolling hill, a natural amphitheater perfect for a concert (check out all of the artists here).

Keller Willliams performed Thursday night at People Fest

The next show we caught was the infectious party band, Sneezy. This band was so much fun, it was palpable. The group has been together since they were kids, and their chemistry and camaraderie is strong! Download their songs Fat Girlfriend and Church in the Morning - you won't be disappointed.

Friday was a special day, it was my birthday! As a leo lady, birthdays have always been worth celebrating to me, and Billy made damn sure I felt special. He gifted me the most gorgeous knitted maxi dress, which garnered me several compliments and made me feel so gorgeous. A few of the vendors made my day when they stopped to tell me how great I looked in it, which put me on top of the world! Billy was pretty pleased with himself too, if I do say so myself!

What a day! We first caught Maygen & the Birdwatcher in the tent, with their gorgeous display of flowers adorning the stage. We had seen them at Blue Ox, and I had become a fan of their catchy folk-rock-country tunes. We danced for a bit and then wandered over to the main stage for Cloud Cult. They weren't exactly our cup of tea, but put on an interesting, energetic show!

For Billy and me, the absolute highlight of the day was the powerhouse that is Mae Simpson. We weaved our way to the front center and were blown away by the fun, high energy and natural charisma Simpson and her band brought to People Fest. Her song Monsters was a crowd favorite that had folks singing along. Clearly fans had followed her to the Driftless.

She also stripped down to her bare vocals with two bandmates singing songs like Plain Clothes Dream, which brought her to tears! The raw emotion witnessed on that stage, coupled with loving gratitude pouring from Simpson's heart was so beautiful to be a part of! And mama can sing! To top it off, Simpson crowd surfed.. yeah, she teased the crowd during her set, and everyone was stoked to see her actually follow through! It was truly epic and Joe and I are both now huge fans. We passed by Simpson later that night and made a point to tell her how much we loved her show, and she was gracious and lovely! This is what I love about small music festivals - you become a part of the music - it's not an experience like anything else.

After Mae's incredible set, we headed to the main bowl in anticipation of Galactic, New Orleans based funk-jazz-soul band with decades of experience pleasing crowds. There was a lot of energy coming out of those horns and from the powerful lead singer. We had a blast dancing to the groovy, soulful songs!

We definitely didn't want the fun to end that night, it was my birthday after all! We were sure to keep the party going in our Lo-Liner camper trailer. I know I was a little surprised when Billy said the sun had risen and we were still up and at it! Needless to say, we missed several of the early bands Saturday. I know Billy will agree with me when I tell you it was worth it, and I got everything I wanted for my 41st (and we reached our goal.. see below)!

We first climbed the hill to hear Madeline Hawthorne, a singer-songwriter, multi-instrument playing Bozeman native. Then we were drawn to the tent stage where The Lavender Project was really pumping up the crowd with their indie-experimental hip hop songs. They were super fun and energetic and we enjoyed what we caught from the La Crosse group.

What a treat to be introduced to the powerhouse that is Heatbox, a Minneapolis-based one-man entertainment system. Heatbox has the most fun songs, with his incredibly diverse voice, beat boxing prowess and incredible charisma. We were totally blown away by him and can't wait to see him again.

For us, a major highlight was the band that hosts People Fest, the rocking, vivacious, incredible Madison-based band, the People Brothers Band! We love the positive energy that radiates from the group. It's the kind of music the world is desperate for and that instantly lifts you up. I think Joe and I both got teary eyed when Mama T belted out Restless. Their entire mission is to bring joy and love to the masses through music, and they absolutely succeeded Saturday night. I didn't want their set to end!

Galactic brought their funky New Orleans sound to the Driftless

Finally, Lettuce closed down the fest Saturday night with their funky, psychedelic, soulful, jammin' tunes! We danced and swayed and had the best time feeling the six-piece band's incredible vibe. They were really a great time, and we were sad when the last note was played!

It's worth noting that People Fest curates an incredible variety of artists spanning several different genres including rock, funk, bluegrass, Americana, country, hip hop, soul and so much more. It made for a great experience, ensuring everyone could discover incredible musicians they may not have heard of before. We certainly did!

Camping and Kinship

Earlier in the summer, we were returning from Big Top Chautauqau near Bayfield, and we turned around in Mercer because we thought we recognized a friend playing music downtown (we did!). Because of this short detour, we passed a very adorable vintage camper trailer and stopped to inquire. It was perfect and a screamin' deal, so Joe went back the next week to pick her up and bring her home.

We knew we were going to name the Lo-Liner something after taking it on its maiden voyage at People Fest. The Love Shack was born after tons of good lovin' throughout the weekend! Camping was a breeze and really fun. We parked the Love Shack at the end of the line, giving us a bit more room to set up our scene. There is also camp tenting spread throughout the property, giving attendees the option of setting up shop near the tree line, on a hill or closer to the bowl on flat ground. There is plenty of room, and you'd easily get to find a spot you like each year. There were also lots of port-a-potties - although there was a port-a-potty bandit who was vandalizing them throughout the weekend - and there were two (cold) showers available as well.

Suzy enjoys some downtime at camp; we loved the set up

We missed out on the cool spa experiences People Fest offered this year, but it's worth noting that there was a on-site spa where you could sauna, get a massage, and take a cool bath. There were a few other services available too that we want to try next year.

People Fest is truly about the people, the music, and the beauty that surrounds the magical Driftless Music Gardens. I think it was said best on the website: "We are a kinship who deeply understands that our lives are connected on many levels. We believe that through music, art, and nature, we can strengthen our human bonds and spread love, positivity, and strength in hopes of bringing the world together. We are happy to have a place called home, we are happy to be Driftless Music Gardens."

See you next time, Driftless!