Greenway Takeover Festival: Gear Daddies, Big Head Todd and a number of other local and regional acts
Sep. 3—GRAND FORKS — All new headliners are set to entertain audiences on the main stage this year at the annual Greenway Takeover Festival in downtown Grand Forks, according to Tricia Lunski, event organizer.
The event opens Thursday, Sept. 8, and closes Sunday, Sept. 11.
On Thursday, the Gear Daddies take top billing; on Friday, it will be Big Head Todd and The Monsters; and on Saturday, watch for Mae Simpson and the Yonder Mountain String Band. The latter is "an up-and-coming" group from Minneapolis, said Lunski, co-owner of HB Sound and Light, which initiated the festival in 2017.
On Sunday, Koo Koo Kanga Roo will be performing a show at noon followed by Manic Drive at 1:15 p.m. A worship service, led by Hope Church, is also planned for 9:30 a.m. Sunday on the Sorlie Stage.
Event hours are: Thursday, 5-11 p.m.; Friday, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and 5 p.m.-midnight; Saturday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m.; and Sunday, 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
Admission is free before 6 p.m. and $10 afterward; visitors will not be asked to leave at 6 p.m. but simply are allowed to stay for the remainder of the evening for free. Three-day passes, for $25, are available at both Grand Forks Happy Harry's Bottle Shop locations and at HB Sound and Light, 101 N. Eighth St. Four-day VIP tickets, $125 each, will entitle the holder to seating in a special area, separate restroom facilities, and VIP bartender with security access.
Attendance this year is expected to be about the same as last year — around 5,000 people per day, Lunski said. In the past five years, it has been canceled only once — in 2020 — due to the pandemic.
The festival features three stages on which a variety of performers will offer a broad range of musical genres, Lunski said. Country music lovers will want to catch the performance by the Honky Tonk Troubadours at 6:15 p.m. Thursday on the Sorlie Stage.
Numerous local and regional bands, individual musicians and musical groups will perform at different times during the event.
The band lineup includes:
Thursday: Dick King Swing Band at 5 p.m.; Honkey Tonk Troubadours at 6:15; Tumbleweed Radio at 7:45; Gear Daddies at 9:30.
Friday: Mark Ryan at noon; Jake Ingamar at 1; Jimmy River Band at 5; Pat Lenertz Band at 6:15; Silver Warehouse at 7:45; Big Head Todd and the Monsters at 9:30; and DJ Matt Lutgen at 11.
Saturday: Penumbra at 11; Chris Johnson at noon; Cheron at 1; Grand Forks Master Chorale at 2:15; Your Earholes at 3:15; The Dank at 4:30; Downtown Horns at 6; Mae Simpson at 7:45; and Yonder Mountain String Band at 9:30.
Sunday: Mudbucket at 11; Koo Koo Kanga Roo at noon; and Manic Drive at 1:15.
Check out the Myra Foundation Stage for activities such as a puppet show, line dancing, Living Well Yoga, an ArtWise experience, juggling and balloons, and a dance class.
Games aplenty will be available for everyone — and they're not just for kids; adults enjoy them just as much, Lunski said. Among the games will be Human Foosball, Nine Square in the Air, and Giant Pong.
Eleven food trucks will offer a broad spectrum of options, Lunski said. Vendors will include Little Bangkok, Mediterranean Cuisine, Steers, The Wok, Sno Cones, Bucklin Mini Donuts and others that have been with the festival since its start-up, namely, Skip's Gourmet Grub, Brat King, Fresh Cut Fries, Steers, Drafts Sports Bar, Nur Malaysian Kitchen.
A "craft beer row" will feature the refreshments provided by local breweries Half Brothers, Rhombus Guys and Ox. The Hub will serve other beers and mixed drinks, she said.
Lunski said she and others working on the event are deeply appreciative of the support they've received from businesses and organizations, including Happy Harry's Bottle Shops, The Myra Foundation and Strive Life of Grand Forks.
"We're super-grateful to our sponsors. We couldn't do this without them."
"And we always need volunteers" to help with event operations, she said.
For more information on the festival, or to sign up as a volunteer, go to the event website,
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