Annual Festivals
Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears This nationally recognized festival, which draws audiences from across the Midwest and acclaimed actors from across the country, fills each Winona summer with a full slate of world-class entertainment. With plays, music, speakers and celebration events, the Great River Shakespeare Festival is the cornerstone of Winona’s reputation as an unmatched…
Winona welcomes world renowned artists The Minnesota Beethoven Festival is an annual, three-week classical music festival in Winona, presenting nationally and internationally recognized artists in performance each summer. Since 2007, the Minnesota Beethoven Festival has celebrated the music and legacy of Ludwig van Beethoven, in an unequaled environment of performance, discovery, and community, nestled in…
Sandbar Storytelling Festival, in partnership with the Winona County History Center, presents the 5th annual “Business and Immigrant Stories of Winona.” Each storytelling event is free and open to the public, and refreshments will be served. Admission is free but a freewill donation will be in support of festival activity. More information at www.sandbarstorytellingfestival.org.
Alexandra Kazovsky, violin Gershon Gerchikov, violin Jan Grüning, viola Amit Even-Tov, cello Distinguished by its virtuosity, probing musical insight, and impassioned, fiery performances, the Ariel Quartet has garnered critical praise worldwide for more than twenty years. Formed when the members were just teenagers studying at the Jerusalem Academy Middle School of Music and Dance in…
The Minnesota Orchestra is recognized for distinguished performances in its home state and around the world, award-winning recordings and broadcasts, educational engagement programs, and commitment to building the orchestral repertoire of the future. In September 2023, the ensemble welcomed Danish conductor Thomas Søndergård as its eleventh music director. Founded in 1903, the ensemble has a…
Sandbar Storytelling Festival, in partnership with the Winona County History Center, presents the 5th annual “Business and Immigrant Stories of Winona.” Each storytelling event is free and open to the public, and refreshments will be served. Admission is free but a freewill donation will be in support of festival activity. More information at www.sandbarstorytellingfestival.org.
Though Winona’s at the opposite end of the Mississippi from the birthplace of jazz, monthly jazz band performances, a Winona Jazz Festival, and even our own Mardi Gras celebration keeps the toe-tapping music alive here year-round. The 39th Annual Winona Jazz Festival will be greatly expanded in 2026! The Upper Mississippi Jazz Society, a non-profit…
The Winona Main Street Program presents Big Muddy in The Streets, a FREE event for all ages held on 3rd Street in Downtown Winona from Main Street to Franklin Street. The annual Big Muddy in The Streets will feature live music, Best in Area Grilling Competition, Bloody Mary Tasting, food trucks, cornhole competition, kids activities, and…
Season 8 begins with the 39th Annual Upper Mississippi Jazz Festival performance, featuring the incredible Tom Wopat! YES, The original “Luke” Duke from the Dukes of Hazzard TV Show!! And, oh yeah… the car, the “General Lee” will be here.Tom Wopat is a versatile baritone vocalist whose musical career spans over four decades and boasts…
Help us Celebrate our 13th Annual Pez On The River Convention on September 10th, 11th & 12th 2026! Kick off with the Early Birds on Thursday September 10th 2026. Registration and Check in; Room Hopping; Social, Grill-out, Costume Contest Entry (2026 Theme- Spirit of 2026!) Friday September 11th, 2026 – Room Hopping, Scavenger Hunt, Poker…