Nestled in a narrow valley that forms a natural amphitheater sits Driftless Music Gardens. Every summer, crowds flock to what co-owner Crickett Lochner describes as “the middle of nowhere … and then some” for live music in a setting like none other.
“Boogiedown”, “People Fest” and the “Bonfire Music and Arts Festival” have become pilgrimages for lovers of music and nature – or music in nature – from all over Wisconsin, the Upper Midwest and beyond.
These multi-day weekend music festivals occupy a farm that Lochner’s family has occupied since the 1850s. Crickett Lochner is part of the sixth generation. Like modern-day homesteaders, the farm owners have laid their claim by building on the land again. This time, a permanent stage with lighting and shelter for bands awaiting their turn to perform.
“It was kind of like an old-fashioned barn raising,” says Tim Lochner, Crickett’s husband.
It took many hands as the couple called on musicians and music fans to come help make the stage take shape.
“I think at one time we had 50 people out here just hammering away,” recalls Crickett Lochner.
Now, many times that number show up at the old farm to enjoy the fruits of the Lochners’ labor, along with live music, camping out under the stars and the pleasant vibes that fill the valley.
