Winstock Country Music Festival
| Winstock Country Music Festival | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Country music |
| Dates | June 14-15 2019 |
| Location(s) | Winsted, Minnesota |
| Years active | 1994 - Current |
| Website | http://www.winstockfestival.com |
The Winstock Country Music Festival is a two-day country music festival that is held in Winsted, MN that usually draws 12,000-15,000 people each day. It is usually held in the first two weeks of June and is often considered to be the first major country music festival of the summer in the upper Midwest.[1]
History
The Winstock Country Music Festival was started in 1994 by a group of Holy Trinity School and Parish boosters. It was to be a fundraiser for the school and parish. The first Winstock was held at the Winsted Municipal Airport and one of the headliners was local country star Paulette Carlson.
Since then, Winstock has grown and moved across the road to land the festival now owns. Camping and reserved seating are often available at this new location. A second stage was added in 2005 known as the emerging artist stage. Rising country talent such as Keith Anderson, Little Big Town, and Sugarland has been featured. Winstock often features some of country music's biggest talent such as Montgomery Gentry and Reba McEntire in 2008 and has since been headlined by stars such as Frankie Ballard, Brett Eldredge, Martina McBride, Gary Allan, and Blake Shelton.