The Festivities
Welcome to another exciting weekend of spectacular banjo entertainment! The Midwest BanjoFest features numerous jam sessions, soloists and ensembles performing in various locations throughout historic and scenic La Crosse:
Friday Schedule
Kick-off this year's BanjoFest weekend by reliving the days of a good old-fashioned banjo jam and sing-along night at one of La Crosse's many great restaurants and drinking establishments, THE LA CROSSE BIERHAUS (128 3rd Street South), hosted by Paul Erickson and The Pearl Street Banjo Band. Be sure to bring your instruments and join in the festivities for this evening of family fun!
5:30 to 8:30 pm
Friday Schedule
Kick-off this year's BanjoFest weekend by reliving the days of a good old-fashioned banjo jam and sing-along night at one of La Crosse's many great restaurants and drinking establishments, THE LA CROSSE BIERHAUS (128 3rd Street South), hosted by Paul Erickson and The Pearl Street Banjo Band. Be sure to bring your instruments and join in the festivities for this evening of family fun!
5:30 to 8:30 pm
Saturday Schedule
Start your day with more superb banjo entertainment with a Musical Jam at a Tavern in the Town, HOUGHTON'S JACKSON STREET PUB (1002 Jackson Street), another one of LaCrosse’s fabulous restaurants and taverns. Enjoy loads of great food and drink, informal and impromptu music performances, and plenty of jamming with friends and family!
11:30 to 2:00 pm
THE ALL-STAR MAIN EVENT...THE 61st MIDWEST BANJO JAMBOREE AND BBQ BASH. As America's longest-running banjo show, this is an extraordinary and memorable musical treat for returning BanjoFest devotees and new guests alike. Start your Saturday night right by going back in time to the Jazz Age and celebrating our Diamond Jubilee in an Art Deco-style Speakeasy at the historic GRAND HOTEL BALLROOM AT THE PEARL (207 Pearl Street). Come see and join the fun by playing alongside some of jazz banjo’s top stage and recording artists, and stay for all of the musical fun-and-festivities to follow. In recent years, Johnny Baier, Paul Erickson, Lance Dieckow, and Debbie Schreyer, among many others, have graced the stage together in a one-of-a-kind series of solo and group performances that are now legendary. Again, be sure to bring your instruments, as everyone is a star at the Fest and welcome to perform during an exciting night of non-stop jamming and making musical memories together.
To celebrate the 61st Anniversary of the Midwest Banjo Club, a BBQ buffet will be included in your admission to the show ($25.00 per person). Contact Fred Dodd at [email protected] for details and to register for this event (reservations must be made in advance by no later than August 30, 2025). A full cash bar will be also available.
6:00 pm to 11:00 pm
Start your day with more superb banjo entertainment with a Musical Jam at a Tavern in the Town, HOUGHTON'S JACKSON STREET PUB (1002 Jackson Street), another one of LaCrosse’s fabulous restaurants and taverns. Enjoy loads of great food and drink, informal and impromptu music performances, and plenty of jamming with friends and family!
11:30 to 2:00 pm
THE ALL-STAR MAIN EVENT...THE 61st MIDWEST BANJO JAMBOREE AND BBQ BASH. As America's longest-running banjo show, this is an extraordinary and memorable musical treat for returning BanjoFest devotees and new guests alike. Start your Saturday night right by going back in time to the Jazz Age and celebrating our Diamond Jubilee in an Art Deco-style Speakeasy at the historic GRAND HOTEL BALLROOM AT THE PEARL (207 Pearl Street). Come see and join the fun by playing alongside some of jazz banjo’s top stage and recording artists, and stay for all of the musical fun-and-festivities to follow. In recent years, Johnny Baier, Paul Erickson, Lance Dieckow, and Debbie Schreyer, among many others, have graced the stage together in a one-of-a-kind series of solo and group performances that are now legendary. Again, be sure to bring your instruments, as everyone is a star at the Fest and welcome to perform during an exciting night of non-stop jamming and making musical memories together.
To celebrate the 61st Anniversary of the Midwest Banjo Club, a BBQ buffet will be included in your admission to the show ($25.00 per person). Contact Fred Dodd at [email protected] for details and to register for this event (reservations must be made in advance by no later than August 30, 2025). A full cash bar will be also available.
6:00 pm to 11:00 pm
Sunday Schedule
Join us for a scenic cruise and banjo jam on THE LA CROSSE QUEEN, departing from Riverside Park (405 E. Veterans Memorial Drive). See the early Fall colors of the picturesque Mississippi River valley, while listening to banjo music banjo music aboard a 2-hour trip on an authentic, old-fashioned paddlewheel riverboat. . Be sure to reserve your tickets in advance for this weekend favorite, as space is limited to the first 120 passengers. For more information or to book your tickets, please see public sightseeing cruises at www.LaCrosseQueen.com or call (608) 784-8523. Also note that on-line reservations are only available for booking four-weeks prior to the cruise date. Pick up your tickets dockside at 1:00 pm and board ship at 1;15 pm.
1:15 to 3:00 pm
Join us for a scenic cruise and banjo jam on THE LA CROSSE QUEEN, departing from Riverside Park (405 E. Veterans Memorial Drive). See the early Fall colors of the picturesque Mississippi River valley, while listening to banjo music banjo music aboard a 2-hour trip on an authentic, old-fashioned paddlewheel riverboat. . Be sure to reserve your tickets in advance for this weekend favorite, as space is limited to the first 120 passengers. For more information or to book your tickets, please see public sightseeing cruises at www.LaCrosseQueen.com or call (608) 784-8523. Also note that on-line reservations are only available for booking four-weeks prior to the cruise date. Pick up your tickets dockside at 1:00 pm and board ship at 1;15 pm.
1:15 to 3:00 pm
Attend a special Afterglow Jam Party at one of the Banjo Fest's long-time favorite restaurants, drinking establishments, and performance venues, THE FREIGHTHOUSE RESTAURANT BAR AND LOUNGE (107 Vine Street). After dinner on your own in the Main Dining room or at another of La Crosse's many fine restaurants, join us in the Bar and Lounge for one last opportunity to celebrate and gather with old and new Fest friends and family over drinks and close out this weekend’s memorable merriment with a grand finale jam that continues until the last banjo player is standing!
7:00 pm to ???
7:00 pm to ???
ALL SCHEDULES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE
