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Music

Your guide to Grand Rapids Riverfest: A weekend of music, art and community

KAXE | By Malachy Koons
Published August 29, 2025 at 9:30 AM CDT
The words 'Your Guide to Grand Rapids Riverfest: A weekend of music, art and community' appear in cream over a navy backdrop, below are the words 'Grand Rapids Riverfest, Courtney Barnett, Margo Price, Jeremie Albino, Alan Sparhawk' and the date 'September 6, 2025' appear in navy over a cream backdrop.
Contributed
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KAXE Staff
A weekend roundup of activities to check out in Grand Rapids over Grand Rapids Riverfest.

From pre- and post-parties to art exhibits, new stores and more, here is your guide for Riverfest weekend. Sept. 5-7, 2025, in Grand Rapids, Minnesota.

Grand Rapids Riverfest is more than a music festival. It's a chance to showcase a bustling community to visitors from around the country.

Whether you are rolling into town Friday night, Sept. 5, or early Saturday, there are many events around the area to check out in addition to our music festival!

Music

  • Unwined Up North is hosting a Riverfest Weekend Kickoff show with Adessa and The Beat, 6 p.m. Friday
  • Rapids Brewing Co. is hosting jazz guitarist Sam Miltich & Friends, 6 p.m. Friday
  • The Eagles is hosting classic rock covers band Lost City, 8:30 p.m. Friday
  • Rapids Brewing Co. is hosting a Riverfest Pre Party with The Ditty Wish Group, noon Saturday
  • Rapids Brewing Co. is also hosting a Riverfest After Party with roots rockers, Clay Fulton & The Lost Forty, after Courtney Barnett ends Saturday (around 10:30 p.m.)
    A band plays on stage at night. In the front there is a woman singing on the left, a man singing and holding a guitar in the middle, and a man playing guitar on the right. In the back there is a man playing keyboard on the left, a man playing drums in the middle, and a man playing bass on the right.
    Contributed
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    Clay Fulton & The Lost Forty are playing Rapids Brewing's Riverfest After Party, Saturday Sept. 6.

Food & drink

  • Otis' Grill & Bar at Sugar Lake Lodge normally closes after Labor Day. This year, they are staying open an extra week with normal hours during Riverfest weekend.
  • The Pines Restaurant is hosting a Riverfest After Party with a pop-up patio, Asian street food and a drink special. They will keep their doors open until 1 a.m. Saturday.
    A woman with pink hair highlights and a man with a baseball cap pose in front of a storefront.
    Conversation
    What's for Breakfast: Garlic rice and a fried egg
    Every Friday morning, we get to know one of our members on "What's for Breakfast." This week, we talked with Amanda Lussier from Grand Rapids.
  • The Southeast Asian food truck, Shmoodily Foodily (also a vendor at Riverfest) will be at Klockow Brewing on Sunday.

Shopping

  • KEBS Records in Bovey, the "Worlds Smallest Record Store" (according to their T-shirts), is only open every other Friday and Saturday. Luckily, it lines up with Riverfest this year! They will be open noon-5 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m-5 p.m. on Saturday
  • A Taste of Vintage is a new store in downtown Grand Rapids. They will be open for their second weekend during Riverfest.
  • Celadon Garden Pottery will be celebrating their grand opening Friday in the Old Central School building.

First Friday Art Walk & more

The First Friday Art Walk is a community event on the first Friday of each month in downtown Grand Rapids, organized by Grand Rapids Arts.
  • The Northern Cruisers Car Club and the Itasca Vintage Car Club will host their final Show-n-Shine of the season on the corner of Highway 2 and First Avenue Northwest (in the old Kremer’s lot) from 4-7 p.m. Friday. This event is open to all collector cars regardless of age, and Bobcat's Lunchbox food truck will be on site.
  • Old Central School will celebrate the building's 130th anniversary by hosting an open house event to welcome several new businesses and organizations to the building. Celadon Garden Pottery is the newest business to open up there and will have its grand opening celebration in Room 112. True North Salon and Spa recently moved rooms in Old Central School and will host a grand re-opening with free hair tinsel, product samples, demos and discounts. 4-7 p.m. Friday at 10 NW Fifth St.
    The Old Central School in Grand Rapids against a fall backdrop.
    Maria Hileman
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    KAXE
    The Old Central School in Grand Rapids against a fall backdrop.
  • The Reif Gallery at the Reif Center will host a reception for the closing of the exhibition "In Praise of Pollinators," a group show featuring photography by Ann Gorman of Bemidji and 30 other local and regional artists, all celebrating the crucial role of pollinating species in our environment. 4-5 p.m. Friday at 720 NW Conifer Drive. Light refreshments provided.
    The Reif Center in Grand Rapids on Aug. 5, 2024.
    Megan Buffington
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    KAXE
    The Reif Center in Grand Rapids on Aug. 5, 2024.
  • MacRostie Art Center will host the opening of "Expressing Grief," a group exhibit exploring the ways that art can be a tool for acknowledging, sharing and processing grief. It will include Molly Mae of Brainerd, Susan Sveda Pachaud of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, Eric Twait of Brainerd and Ann and Meg Gorman of Bemidji and London, England. 4-7 p.m. Friday at 405 NW First Ave. Food, wine and other refreshments provided.
The MacRostie Art Center in Grand Rapids.
Lorie Shaull
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Special to KAXE
The MacRostie Art Center in Grand Rapids.

  • Judy Garland Museum, home of the famed stolen ruby slippers, will be open and available for tours. Guided tours are offered on Fridays and Saturdays at 10 a.m. with 35-year Judy Garland authority and museum curator, John Kelsch, offering in-depth information on Judy life and times in Grand Rapids and beyond.

Activities

  • United Way’s Lumberjack Mile & 5K is a family-friendly way to support hunger relief efforts in local schools. The scenic course crosses the Mississippi River and winds through Veterans Memorial Park, with a live DJ, local refreshments and festive fun at the finish line. The run begins at 9 a.m. Saturday, with race-day registration and packet pickup at 8 a.m. at Grand Rapids Public Utilities, 500 SE Fourth St.
  • Tioga Recreation Area features 500 wooded acres located on two of the region’s most unique lakes with 25 miles of world-class mountain biking, beaches and access to hundreds of miles of waterways. Up-to-date trail conditions available. Free. 23946 Tioga Beach Road, Cohasset
A topography map showing all of the bike trails available at Tioga Recreation Area.
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Tioga Recreation Area
Trails available at Tioga Recreation Area in Grand Rapids, MN.

Don't have your tickets to Riverfest yet? Grab those here.
Tags
Music Grand Rapids RiverfestGrand RapidsMusic Eventslive musicKAXE
Malachy Koons
Malachy started his radio career in 2017 at a college radio station, where he played weird music in the middle of the night to possibly no one. On a good night maybe his parents were listening. Nonetheless, he was hooked on public radio and is still doing it today.


He joined Northern Community Radio in 2022, where he gets to share his passion for local music as Producer of Minnesota Mixtape, an all Minnesota music show airing Fridays at 10 a.m. and Saturdays at 3 p.m. You can also find him hosting Headwaters and curating The Setlist.
See stories by Malachy Koons