42nd Sioux River Folk Festival continues decades long tradition

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) - As South Dakota’s longest-running music festival the Sioux River Folk Festival has become a staple of the Canton in the Summer.

Organizers like Kyle Anderson say once someone comes to the event they’re hooked for life.

“We just try to get somebody here one time and then they’ll keep coming back. It’s just that special of a thing, I see people that I see every year out here year after year after year,” South Dakota Friends of Traditional Music Board Member Kyle Anderson said.

Janet Schmitz is living proof of this as she is one of the many people who came to the event for one year and never stopped coming back.

“My brother who is also on the board had been trying to get me out to the festival for many years and I always had an excuse for why I couldn’t come. I finally came one year and was just blown away by just how special the event is so, I started coming every year and just jumping in and helping out,” South Dakota Friends of Traditional Music Board Member Janet Schmitz said.

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While folk music may be the primary focus of the weekend there are plenty of other types of music that will be performed at the event as well.

”It’s more than just folk music. It’s some bluegrass, some blues a little bit of roots rock. We have some Jazz, Irish music. We really like to mix it up so we’ve got a little bit of something for everybody really,” Schmitz said.

The Sioux River Folk Festival runs Friday-Sunday August 5-7 at Newton Hill State Park.

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