Lakeside Guitar Festival 2026
Lakeside Guitar Festival is a free outdoor music festival set at the Historic Como Lakeside Pavilion, a lakefront community arts oasis in Saint Paul. LGF is run by community-conscious musicians and presents a diverse lineup of local and international acts across musical genres, focusing on encouraging new artistic collaboration and highlighting the world class small business and arts communities of Saint Paul. Previous headliners have included Keb Mo, Sunny War, and Steve Cropper performing alongside Minnesota greats.
LGF 2026 returns to Saint Paul, featuring Yasmine Williams , one of the world’s most innovative guitarists as Friday's headliner. On Saturday , Gary Louris from the beloved band, The Jayhawks, performs a solo set. We are honored to have come in from Mexico, Jeronimo Gonzalez w/ Jorge Servin as the “artists at large” playing traditional tunes as well as collaborating with the other players throughout the weekend. Catch them Friday at our newest Swan Boat Song, at the waterfront with Dan Newton. MN virtuose, Pat Donohue returns, joined by his pal, Richard Kriehn, all at the Como Lakeside Pavilion and FREE.
SheRock SheRock will lead the “Strum Along / Sing a Song" as well as host an afternoon open mic at the Waterfall Stage. All levels are invited to create this giant community strum along! Bring your guitar and strum along to a couple songs or chords alongside your fellow humans. Sing along! ( any stringed instrument accepted even air guitars! ) Or stick around and have your shot at the open mic.
With 15 acts across 3 stages, 2 days and 1 floating swan stage. Community activities from a pedal swap , vintage clothing pop up, bike and walk paths, LGF 2026 offers fun for the whole family of music lovers. Saturday August 15th closes with Minnesota’s Last Waltz (ticketed) at the Como Lakeside Pavilion.
LGF is Music Mission’s annual flagship event. Music Mission supports communities throughout the Americas in creating and sharing their music, providing quality and visionary arts programming, scholarship and education opportunities, and instruments and basic needs support to communities in Minnesota and Mexico. More information is at www.musicmissionmusic.com
Music Mission is thrilled to present augmented programming this year thanks to the Minnesota Humanities Center, with additional concerts and workshops taking place on the days preceding our Como Lakeside Pavilion activities.
Wednesday August 12 at Berlin, Minneapolis - https://www.berlinmpls.com - The Mexico City Experiment + Terrell X - a one night only collaboration between Minnesota and CMDX artists at the forefront of their respective creative music scenes.
Friday August 13 at MacPhail Center for Music Jeronimo Gonzalez, composer and instrumentalist (jarana, bass, guitar) will work with students at MacPhail, exploring the intersection of traditional musics and modern jazz.
Then catch all these artists collaborating with LGF artists at Como Lakeside Pavilion throughout the weekend.
This work is funded in part by MHC with money from the Arts and Cultural Heritage
Fund that was created with the vote of the people of Minnesota on November 4, 2008
This activity is supported, in part, by the City of Saint Paul Cultural Sales Tax Revitalization Program.
Friday Aug 14th
Promenade Stage -Presented by Baird- The Jandric Antkowiak Group
6:00-6:45 Zacc Harris “American Reverie”
7:00-7:35 Chastity Brown (w/Terrell X)
7:45-810 Jeronimo Gonzalez / Jorge Servin w/ Dan Newton at the floating Swan Stage
8:15-9:15 Yasmin Williams
Saturday Aug 15th
Grand Lawn-
11:00-11:45 “Strum Along/Sing a Song” led by SheRock SheRock
Promenade-
12:00-1:00 El Diablo Pedal Swap
Promenade Stage -Presented by Baird- The Jandric Antkowiak Group
11:15-12:00 Erik Koskinen w/ Nieves del Norte
12:15-1:00 Jeff Ray Trio
1:15-1:45 St. Rangers
2:00-2:45 Pat Donohue w/ Richard Kriehn
3:00-4:00 Gary Louris
Cafe Stage (inside Dock&Paddle)
11:15-11:45 Dan Gjelten
12:00-12:30 The Daily Norm
12:45-1:15 Gabriela Sweet presented by MN Guitar Society
1:30-2:00 Jeronimo Gonzalez
Waterfall Stage-
12:00-2:00 - Open Mic hosted by SheRock SheRock
Gates Close at 4:15
6:00-9:00 The Last Waltz (ticketed show)
2026 LGF Lineup and Schedule
Friday Aug 14th 2026
Friday Aug 14th 6:00-6:45pm Promenade Stage-Presented by Baird- The Jandric Antkowiak Group
Zacc Harris- Minneapolis-based guitarist, composer, and bandleader who has been an integral part of the Twin Cities jazz scene since 2005. Recognized for his articulate guitar work, inventive compositions, and dynamic live performances, In addition to the Atlantis Quartet, Harris fronts the folk-meets-jazz project American Reverie. Exploring and amplifying traditional American melodies. His work spans a wide musical spectrum, but it’s consistently marked by deep melodicism, thoughtful improvisation, and a reverence for both jazz tradition and contemporary expression.
Friday Aug 14th 7:00-7:35pm Promenade Stage-Presented by Baird- The Jandric Antkowiak Group
Chastity Brown -Based in Minnesota, but with roots in Tennessee, Chastity Brown grew up surrounded by country and soul music. In the full gospel church of her childhood, she played saxophone and drums and found her singing voice and a passion for music. Brown mines the roots of Americana, folk, and soul music, but Chastity’s stories are delivered in a style that feels remarkably timely, modern, and forward-thinking. “...brooding soul eloquence, alt-rock wiriness, atmospheric pop sweetening and folk-infected naturalness.” – NPR Music
Since then, she’s been featured on NPR’s “Favorite Sessions,” CMT, American Songwriter, the London Times, Paste Magazine and others. Chastity has toured the U.S. and abroad.
Collaborating with her on a couple tunes will be Terrell X, beat box deep rooted musician, and a community member of Music Mission.
Friday Aug 14th 7:40-8:00pm Swan Boat On Como Lake!!
Jerónimo González-widely known by his artistic moniker Last Jerónimo, is a prominent Mexican multi-instrumentalist, producer, and a foremost master of the jarana jarocha (a traditional stringed instrument from Veracruz, Mexico). He has carved out a unique space in contemporary music by fusing the roots of son jarocho with jazz, hip-hop, and electronic beats.
Friday Aug 14th 8:15-9:15pm Promenade Stage-Presented by Baird- The Jandric Antkowiak Group
Yasmin Williams- When guitarist and composer Yasmin Williams sits down to compose music, she doesn’t scour her subconscious for unheard melodies or clever chord progressions. Instead, she goes granular—fixating on a single note. She’ll play it over and over, sustaining it, varying the attack or the release to change its essence, eventually adding notes to form chords. Yasmin Williams grew up in the Northern Virginia town of Woodbridge in a family with a deep reverence for music. While earning a degree in music theory and composition at NYU, she began to explore nontraditional approaches to the acoustic guitar, developing a fingerstyle technique with the instrument resting on her lap. Though her ”Acadia” songs evoke sloping hills and rustic ambles, they’re not folksy folk: Many are structured as complex suites and are notable for sudden shifts of mood, spontaneous re-harmonizations, and the extended mounting- tension ramp-ups common in progressive rock.
Saturday Aug 15th 2026
Saturday Aug 15th 11:00-11:45am Grand Lawn
Gather up/tune up 11:00
Strum Along/Sing a Song 11:15-11:45
All levels invited to create this giant community strum along! Bring your guitar and strum along to a couple songs or chords alongside your fellow humans. Sing along! (any stringed instrument accepted even air guitars!)
She Rock She Rock is a Twin Cities nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering girls, women and gender-expansive folks through the art of music. With our performance-based music programming, we provide an inclusive environment that encourages collaboration, develops leadership skills, and fosters self-confidence. We're here to open doors, broaden mindsets and smash gender inequality in the music industry!
Saturday Aug 15th 11:15-12:00Promenade Stage -Presented by Baird- The Jandric Antkowiak Group
Erik Koskinen- An American singer-songwriter, producer, and champion of roots music whose songwriting speaks as plainly as your neighbor.
Nieves del Norte- A father-and-son acoustic duo delivering traditional Mexican regional Norteño music, blending the accordion and the bajo quinto guitar.
This collaboration is more than a one time set, it is a celebration of transition and creative survival. By mixing Koskinen’s gritty, honest songwriting with the evocative, genre-fluid styling of Nieves del Norte, the duo constructs a brilliant blueprint for where guitar music is heading next. Proudly representing the community of St. Peter MN.
Saturday Aug 15th 11:15-11:45 Cafe Stage (inside Dock&Paddle)
Dan Gjelten- a Saint Paul-based fingerstyle guitarist known for his transportive, acoustic-driven live sets. Drawing deeply from the American Primitive tradition, his introspective instrumentals blend regional folk threads, roots blues, and reimagined melodies into a rich, singular tapestry coaxed from vintage resonator guitars and the warm, woody soul of an old J-45.
Saturday Aug 15th 12:15-1:00 Promenade Stage- Presented by Baird- The Jandric Antkowiak Group
Jeff Ray Trio- an avant-garde resonator slide-guitarist and songwriter based in Minneapolis, MN. His music is rooted in the traditions of acoustic blues and American fingerstyle guitar, but Ray quickly departs from tradition: his songs integrate flavors of Indian classical music and West-African guitar under the cryptic guise of alternate guitar tunings.
Saturday Aug 15th 12:00-2:00 Waterfall Stage
12:00-2:00 - open mic hosted by SheRock SheRock
This year SheRock SheRock will also host an open mic. Grab your guitar and take the spotlight at the first-ever Lakeside Guitar Festival Open Mic! Hosted by the incredible team from SheRock SheRock, this brand-new event is the perfect stage for solo performers of all skill levels to share their music.
Saturday Aug 15th 12:00-1:00 Promenade
LGF 4th Annual Gear Swap, sponsored by El Diablo Amps and Guitars. Gather your unused/unloved gear and swap them out for something new and exciting! Trade with your fellow Twin Cities pedal junkies, or trade with El Diablo himself! This event is free and open to the public. Register for a chance to win a FREE Chase Bliss Audio pedal! For more info, visit the El Diablo Amps Facebook Page
Saturday Aug 15th 12:00-12:30 Cafe Stage (Inside Dock N Paddle)
The Daily Norm The Daily Norm is the solo project of Kae Layne, a guitarist from Connecticut, currently residing in Minneapolis. His fingerstyle technique is described as delicate, atmospheric, and thought-provoking. Inspired by the likes of Lindsay Buckingham, Paul McCartney and Bruce Cockburn, he takes what he learns and adds it to his style in a way that you can immediately tell it’s The Daily Norm. His debut album, “Sometime, Elsewhere” released January 2025, has caught the attention of Minnesota Delta Blues legend, Charlie Parr, leading Parr to shout out the album in his newsletter, saying “If I had this on vinyl it would be worn out by now!” Kae’s hope is that through his music and performances, he can make a connection with others.
Gabriela Sweet
Saturday Aug 15th 12:45-1:15 Cafe Stage (inside Dock&Paddle)
Gabriela Sweet Bottleneck slide guitarist, playing a variety of musical styles on Dobros and Nationals: jazz, son montuno, festejo, zydeco, classical, American standards, blues, and more; singing in Spanish, English, French, Gaelic, German, Italian, Brazilian Portuguese, Russia Tagalog, and Ukrainian. Molly’s mentor & guitar hero. Presented by Mn. Guitar Society
Saturday Aug 15th 1:15-1:45 Promenade Stage- Presented by Baird- The Jandric Antkowiak Group
St. Rangers-Through gently rollicking rhythms and heartfelt melodies, St. Rangers paints vignettes of lost eras, hometown fables, and antique-store nostalgia. Drawing upon the poignant simplicity of Gillian Welch, the shoulder-punch familiarity of John Prine, and the multilayered harmonies of I'm With Her, the band delivers songs that fit like a well-worn glove.Like old friends around a campfire, these spotlight-sharing songwriters trade off storytelling duties with grace. They make room for one another, allowing Nasset’s earnest twang and Bearinger’s formidable fast-picking skills to take respective turns at the center of attention.
Saturday Aug 15th 1:30-2:00pm Cafe Stage (inside Dock&Paddle)
Jeronimo Gonzalez- widely known by his artistic moniker Last Jerónimo, is a prominent Mexican multi-instrumentalist, producer, and a foremost master of the jarana jarocha (a traditional stringed instrument from Veracruz, Mexico). He has carved out a unique space in contemporary music by fusing the roots of son jarocho with jazz, hip-hop, and electronic beats.
Saturday Aug 15th 2:00-2:45 Promenade Stage -Presented by Baird- The Jandric Antkowiak Group
Pat Donohue and Richard Kriehn- they bring together Grammy-winning artistry and decades of national variety show experience for an intimate set of acoustic string music. As longtime house musicians for American Public Media’s legendary A Prairie Home Companion, this powerhouse duo blends world-class fingerstyle guitar with soaring mandolin and fiddle work. Their performances seamlessly navigate standard jazz, low-down blues, original instrumentals, and traditional bluegrass, all delivered with effortless virtuosity and warm, engaging stage humor..
Saturday Aug 15th 3:00-4:00 Promenade Stage- Presented by Baird- The Jandric Antkowiak Group
Gary Louris- Co-Founder of The Jayhawks | Singer-Songwriter | Guitarist is a pioneering figure in the alternative country and Americana movements. Best known as the co-founder, chief songwriter, and guitarist for the Minneapolis-based band The Jayhawks, Louris shaped the landscape of modern indie-rock. His signature guitar style blends melodic, fluid leads with chiming, distorted textures, creating a sonic blueprint that influenced a generation of musicians.
Over a career spanning four decades, Louris has built a reputation for crafting unforgettable hooks and complex, soaring vocal harmonies. Beyond his legendary work with The Jayhawks, he has released acclaimed solo albums, including Vagabonds and Jump for Joy, which showcase his acoustic fingerpicking and deeply personal storytelling.
As a highly sought-after collaborator and producer, Louris has lent his distinctive guitar playing and songwriting talents to artists such as Wilco, Lucinda Williams, Nickel Creek, and the Dixie Chicks. For this special solo guitar festival performance, Louris strips away the full-band arrangements to deliver an intimate, guitar-forward set. Audiences can expect songs featuring reinvented Jayhawks classics, solo material, and the expressive acoustic guitar work that defines his enduring legacy.
The Last Waltz
Saturday Aug 15th 6:00-9:00 Promenade Stage
This is a ticketed show
What would anybody leave so quickly for?
Come and sip the wine.
History of LGF: Founded in 2013 with major backing by McNally-Smith Collage of Music and help from the STAR grant. Chris Osgood ( punk rock guitar slinger, scenester and all around angel of arts ) asked that Molly put together an afternoon of guitar hero music that would bring folks of all ages and genre loving music fans to Mears Park in the heart of the warehouse district of St. Paul . Under the dynamic guidance of Chris and the many hats he wears, Lowertown Guitar Festival, the big FREE fest was born.
Not only was it 8 hours of exceptional guitar skills spanning 2-3 stages, it also included free workshops in the morning at McNally-Smith covering technical skills like guitar effects, tone and other more gear focus topics.The college hosted a teen guitar seminar in the morning, culminating in a teen guitar challenge at the site starting at noon where kids had an opportunity to shred and compete for gear donated by major manufacturers like Fender and Martin Guitars. Over the years we have added a "market place”, and in 2016 included a luthier's showcase.
2018 found us at the historic Como Lakeside Pavilion, a venue that hit many high notes for our growing team. Todd Clouser came aboard providing added support and a broader reach. We were able to keep the festival free, adding another stage, more vendors and a covered area from the elements keeping us outdoors.
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