The 2020 fiscal year marked our organization’s 11th year in operation. We have been through snowstorms and rainstorms in past years, but 2020 will forever be stamped by Covid-19. No one saw this coming and it hit with devastating results for the music business as a whole, and most certainly MWMF. We had to lay off workers and cut our core staff to quarter time.

The positive in all of this is that we were able to weather another curve ball from nature thanks to our sponsors, individual donors, community partners, and fans! Because of these strong relationships we were able to pull off MWMF - AT HOME - a virtual fest that featured many of the scheduled acts that were set to play the in-person fests. We also had plans to integrate our mental health initiative into the fest in a big way this year - fortunately many of our partners continued to strategize with us during quarantine and many aspects of mental health and mindful practice were integrated into the virtual fest.

The organization also pivoted to create a fundraising campaign - Save Mid West Music Fest - in conjunction with the virtual fest. Combined with our sponsors sticking with us, fans donating their original tickets, and individuals donating to the campaign, together, we DID save the organization. Individual donations increased in 2020 by over 300% compared to 2019. We are still on tentative footing trying to respond to current conditions, but we end our 2020 fiscal year with a positive balance sheet and remain nimble and hopeful in our planning toward 2021.

MID WESTMUSIC FEST

BEGAN ASECONDDECADE

BOARD OF DIRECTORSBrent Hanifl, Crystal Hegge, Doug Westerman, Sam Brown, Jessie Rivers, Jacob Grippen, Chuck Berendes, Laura Pettersen, Jacqui Marcou, Chad Staehly, Rick Dold, Max Weber

CREATIVE DIRECTORParker Forsell / parker.f@midwestmusicfest.org

MANAGING DIRECTORAbby Lee / abby@midwestmusicfest.org

MID WEST MUSIC FEST2

61 Acts141 musicians on 60 stages

44%of acts female led

Facebook and Youtube Stats related to the shows on May 8-9Views: 58,363Likes/Shares: 23,536Total Page Impressions (When any content from your Page or about your Page entered a person's screen): 169,241New Page Followers (since May 1): 531Total Hours Viewed: 4,889

Facebook Stats the week of the virtual festPage Views: up 1,400%Post Reach: up 1,200%Post engagement: up 2,200%Videos watched more than 3 seconds: up 32,369%

Current Fans according to social media statistics via Facebook and Instagram

Facebook (8700 followers)55% Female and 45% Male18-24: 3%25-34: 38%35-44: 29%45-54: 14%55-64: 8%65 and over: 5%

Instagram (1756 followers)49% Female and 51% Male18-24: 9%25-34: 41%35-44: 30%45-54: 11%55-64: 4%65 and over: 2%

MWMF 2020 BY THE NUMBERS FROM VIRTUAL FEST

Total: $111,788Staff: $48,207Contractors: $5,800Artists Stipends: $19,225Production: $4583Legal/Insurance: $5978Other expenses: $32,578

EXPENSE FOR 2020

Total: $113,778Earned Income: $18,070Sponsorships/Grants: $69,428Fundraisers: $3028Individual Giving: $23,222

INCOME FOR 2020

2020 ANNUAL REPORT 3

THANK YOU ALL

SO MUCH! I AM SO

IMPRESSED BY

HOW FLAWLESSLY

MWMF PIVOTED

FROM A MASSIVE

LIVE FESTIVAL TO

BUILDING A VIRTUAL

COUNTERPART FROM

THE GROUND UP.

WHAT A MONUMENTAL

TASK! NOTHING CAN

FULLY REPLACE LIVE

PERFORMANCE OF

COURSE, BUT MAN

THE MEDIUM YOU ALL

CRAFTED IS FUN AND

FULFILLING IN ITS

OWN WAYS. WE HAD A

BLAST. - Carlisle Evan Peck

[MWMF] IS BY FAR

THE BEST FEST IN THE

NORTH!- Cameron Campbell

(The Shackletons)

THANK YOU!! IT

WAS AN AMAZING

EXPERIENCE AND

I ALSO LEARNED

SO MUCH. I TRULY

APPRECIATE ALL

OF YOU ARTISTS

AND PARKER FOR

REACHING OUT TO US.

MUCH LOVE!!

- Queen Drea

MAN, WE HAD SUCH

A BLAST LAST NIGHT.

THANK YOU FOR

HAVING US, AND

THANKS FOR ALL OF

THE LOVE LEADING UP

TO THE FESTIVAL. IT

REALLY MEANS A LOT

TO US. - King Pari

During their stream:

WE WANT TO THANK

MWMF FOR BEING

THE ONLY GIG THAT

DID NOT CANCEL ON

US FOR THE NEXT

SEVERAL MONTHS.

- Three Star Revival

THANKS SO MUCH

FOR MAKING THIS

HAPPEN! WE HAD SO

MUCH FUN PLAYING

TOGETHER AGAIN,

EVEN IF DISTANCED

AND OUTSIDE. QUITE

IMPRESSIVE HOW

QUICKLY ALL THE

MWMF CREW WAS

ABLE TO SWITCH

GEARS TO MAKE THIS

HAPPEN. THANK YOU!

- Sprig of That

QUOTES FROM ARTISTS

MID WEST MUSIC FEST4

THE SPONSORS

THAT MADE

THIS HAPPEN

PRESENTING SPONSORThe Weber Group

FESTIVAL SPONSORMidwest Family BroadcastingSoutheastern Minnesota Arts CouncilThe CurrentTreedome

VENUE SPONSORElizabeth Callendar King FoundationHal LeonardHBCKQALLa Crosse DistilleryWNB Financial

STAGE SPONSORLeighton BroadcastingMerchants BankPeople’s Food CoopState Bank Financial Rivers Hotel GroupThe Charmant Hotel

COMMUNITY SPONSOREagles Club #1243Home Federal Savings Bank

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS AT ALL LEVELS! Hairless DogGreat River Shakespeare FestivalFrozen River Film FestivalPedal for the PeopleMinnesota Marine Art Museum

SUSTAINABILITY SPONSORHilltopper Refuse & Recycling

MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLNESS PARTNERS Call to MindDissonanceHealth Access MN Muddy Waters Yoga Palm + Pine Yoga Manitou Center La Crosse Area Family YMCA Winona State Green Bandana Project

MEDIA SPONSORWenonah CreatesInspired Driftless Magazine River Travel Media Coulee Region Women

Jeffersons Pub and GrillMiller ScrapCandlewood SuitesHanson & Associates (Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc.)Carl and Verna Schmidt FoundationOcooch Mountain MusicCity of La Crosse Arts Board

HEADLINER SPONSORBluff Country Coop Prairie Island Campground Jumpstart Sales Coca-Cola Bottling of Winona Altra Federal Credit Union Gillette and Associates

SUPPORTING ACT LEVELWild Wales Boats and Bluegrass Affinity Plus Credit Union Poellinger ElectricSweet 16 Farms PARTNERING SPONSORIsland City Brewing Company Pearl Street BreweryWinona State University, American Marketing Association

2020 ANNUAL REPORT 5

STAGE SPONSOR LEVELJoann Thomas and Doug Nopar Sam Brown

COMMUNITY SPONSOR LEVEL AnonymousChris RoderiqueConnie and Ray DretskeJerry and Pat PAPENFUSSSteve Sutcliffe

HEADLINER LEVELDave’s Guitar ShopJonathan GelattRobin MosesMario YouakimCameron KierschMax WeberRick and Leah DoldMike and Karen KeilJacob Sciammas & Erin Maslowski

OPENING BAND LEVELAnderson JenniferCameron CampbellCrystal HeggeDavid De JongHarry JankeJudy HarpenauKay MazzaLuke ShanahanMichael and Polly ScottMichael LawrenceRoger Averbeck

SUPPORTER LEVELAaron KoepkeAaron RaschAdam YucuisAlicen OlesonAllison KrzychAmanda & Jesse LanikAmanda MatherAmber BarnardAmy MerkeyAna GoodwillAna KlosterAndrea BeneshAndrea BransonAndrew GreenlundAndrew KnauffAndrew StutesmanAnna KrauseAnne FunkAnthony GhelfiArthur Tuttle

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS AT ALL LEVELS! Grace GloverGreg NeidhartGregg HallHaley HolmesJacob GrippenJacqueline MarcouJames AndersonJames CampbellJames KirkJamie KoehlerJamie WashburnJason GilmanJason WassonJeffrey MaasJen GilhoiJennifer SchmidtJennifer WolfeJenny Taylor-McBrideJess Ecker and Simon DeGabrieleJesse & Nicole FredrickJesse BroddJillyan SalweyJim RosenowJoe AnglehartJohanna BrandvikJohanna RupprechtJonathan CoxJonelle MooreJoseph DoperalskiJosi SeversonJudy MyersJulie HenlineJulie JohnsonJulie MuellenbergKaeli MelinKaren CristKarl KattcheeKat SoperKate HooperKathleen LanikKathy ForsellKatie JulianKay PetersenKendall WochnickKickapoo Coffee (now Wonderstate Coffee)Kim AdamsKim MillsKimberly WielinskiKristine EliasKurtis KarrKyle BackstrandKylie WiltgenLarissa OlsonLaura MooreLaura PettersenLes PolingLiam Haeuser

Linda DuffyLindsey AbrahamsLisa CliffordMarcia RatliffMaria KreidermacherMarissa BaileyMark and Abigail LeeMark CarpenterMark DiezMark ZierdenMary CallenMary CostelloMary FarrellMary FoxMary KlinkerMary SolbergMatt SteersMegan BinsfeldMichael CroyMichele McCaughtryMike & Phyllis MartinoMike BecherMike BroddMinnesota United FCMo HoneywellMolly DeVriesNeil DureskyNell Saunders-ScottNick WeberNicolette RekerNikki LuxPam HartwellPam PoppParker ForsellPat LunneyPaul EngebretsonPeter EisenbergPhil & Peggy GiersPhilip GilbertPolly ForsellRebecca ReinholdRenee KendallRoald GundersenRobert CopelandRobert FriedhoffRobin DravesRonald GundersonRyan HoffmanSabrina ChandlerSam Servais and Katie BerkedalSarah TaubnerScott MakstenieksScott VossShannon BusterSharon DurhamSharon MansurShauna MouaShelly Staehly

Stacey HuebnerSteven DingfelderSydney BockelmanTerry ThulThomas SchramTimothy FeeneyTina CaldwellTom CulpTonya PetersonTracy LehnertzTrisha KarrTurtle Stack BreweryVanessa ButenhoffWendy Draves

TICKET DONORRich AllredJames AndersonJennifer AndersonBradley ArnoldussenRoger AverbeckRod BaakkonenVictoria Becker-RaderLowell BergMonica BodohDylan BoorThomas BordwellLeif BorgRobert BraultKristin BreiningIan BrennanGail BriceMaura BrownHannah BrownKelsey BudahnJaclyn ButenhoffJeff CadwellDeb CannonMolly CapekShawn CarlsonBarbara CashmanRobert CopelandKaren CristDavid DambachMonica DeGraziaTrevor DenisenJay DettlaffWilfred DickensonSharon DonoughueElizabeth DurhamAnn ElversonDaren EnglerMarilyn EzdonCarl FerkinhoffKate FlanaganSarah FlandersLeslie FooteZack Ford

Barb BergmanBeechwood Sales and ServiceBenjamin StevensBeth Anne SutcliffeBeth Forkner MoeBethany PoellingerBill & Cindy RoeBrad ErichsenBrad NybergBrian CorcoranBrian RottyBrian StehulaBrittany SiehrBruce HeimerCarly AndersonCarol RothCasey BrooksCasey KorderCasey RutherfordChad StaehlyChristopher RogersClint AlterCody BartzDale NorrisDaniel and Renee GerdesDaniel ParhamDanna TheisDave and Kathleen ChristiansenDave CaseyDavid KorderDavid TerryDawn WashburnDean FrenchDeborah HolbrookDeborah NiebuhrDennis & Polly MarcouDiane & Ron StevensDick RecordDonald BernovichDoug WestermanDustin WermterEdward WeirElise BennettElizabeth HoughEllen GibsonEmilie Simon DeBrouxEmily RuffEric EricksonErica BolandFestival FoodsGale BrusselGary BridgesGeneral Beverage BeerGeorge RosburgGiLia Giaquinto and Milana ShiraGordon Hoffert

THE PEOPLE

THAT MADE

THIS HAPPEN

MID WEST MUSIC FEST6

Gregory FrameKelly FriesRyan FullertonSara GalewskiGayle GarrityBill GartmannJanell GibsonPhilip GilbertMonica DeGraziaTrevor DenisenJay DettlaffWilfred DickensonSharon DonoughueElizabeth DurhamAnn ElversonDaren EnglerMarilyn EzdonCarl FerkinhoffKate FlanaganSarah FlandersLeslie FooteZack FordGregory FrameKelly FriesRyan FullertonSara GalewskiGayle GarrityBill GartmannJanell GibsonPhilip GilbertJennifer GolatMatt Gruhlke

Adam GustafsonCherie HalesLizz HallClay HalvorsonPam HartwellToni HazenSamantha HeaverTodd HenryHannah HerronPaul HeuerBrooke HiltonRyan HoffmanAurora JacobsenDiana Jasan KeohenLaura JohnsonJulie JohnsonTimothy JohnsonJeff JohnsonMatthew KarlTrisha KarrMegan KisnerMarilyn KlinknerJoanne KnobelDave KorderNicole KringsEmily Kurash CaseyNick LaBareAnnie LarkinSelina LarsenJacob LeClaire

Kristi LeeSteven LeonhardiJune LezonPatricia LindseyLori LuckeJeffrey MaasTodd MandelSarah MaxeyMichele McCaughtryAdam McDanielAdam McGrathNancy McPhersonScott McQueenAndrew MelanderKaeli MelinDana MerkelJenelle MeyerDan MilianKelli MillerKim MillsEmy MonroeBailey MorrisPat MutterTom NelsonDeborah NiebuhrLaura NollAndrea NorthamDoreen OlsonAlberta Ottman

Jacob OvergaardAlfred OylerTroy PalmenAnna PaydonSandra PerssonKay PetersonGretchen PetersonLaura PettersenLaura PettersenJeanine PitraAnne PlummerDanielle QuistBridget RamslandAmanda RayPatrick RianRichard RickerBrooke RileyAlberta RosburgNicholas SamsonCesar SandovalA. SchulJohn SchultzJacob SciammasKelsey ScottAnne SheaAlana ShieldsJohn Short

Bridget SkareLarry SkendzelBrenda SkittoneBrian SmithAdam SmithJenna StarkMichelle StilesAndrea StrainManuel SuarezJon SwansonSheila TerrillLance ThillChristopher VeerkampChris VeerkampSarah WaletzkiAndrew WatsonMike WellikCarol WillKarin WollanRobert WooMelissa WrayMiranda WrightAdam YucuisBrianna Zabel

Even in the face of diversity, MWMF has made lemonade from lemons. Keep up the good work and we'll see you all next year. - Phil & Peggy Giers

What a great idea!! MWMF remains at the forefront of innovation and I am proud to be part of it! - Liam Haeuser

It’s magic on a stream as well. Bravo MWMF! You give us such joy. - Michael Scott

Thank you for "bringing together" all these artists. Music and art are so important right now. - Amanda Mather

Look forward to this festival every year! Thank you to all artists and people behind the scenes still bringing the music to us when we truly need it! - Anonymous

Thank you MWMF. This has fed my soul! It was great to see some of my favorite musicians, as well as Sarah J. with Mental Health tidbits! - Kylie Wiltgen

These artists are a gift, a much needed quarantine uplift! - Jen Gilhoi

We support this event every year, and its absence is leaving a void in our life. We miss the energy it brings and we can’t wait to join virtually. - Cameron Kiersch

MWMF's presence is essential for the Winona community! - Anonymous

MWMF is the best music festival I've ever attended, and I've attended a few. I'd do anything to keep it alive and well. - Jim Rosenow

Mid West Music Fest is essential to our Midwest music scene. - Jesse Brodd

This festival brings a lot of joy to many people's lives. Let's keep it going! - Anonymous

QUOTES FROM THE COMMUNITY

2020 ANNUAL REPORT 7

The mission of MWMF is to promote music and art in the region, creating opportunities for artists, stimulating downtown economic development, and providing diverse educational resources for artists, community members, and children.

QUOTES FROM DONORS

WNB Financial has been a proud partner

of Mid West Music Fest since its inception.

As a community bank, WNB supports

organizations that bring strength and

vitality to the communities we serve, and

MWMF has been a leader in this effort

by furthering arts and culture, offering

educational opportunities to all ages, and

inspiring economic development.

- WNB Financial

Mid West Music Fest is the third leg of

Winona's three legged "Performing Arts

Stool" that includes the Great River

Shakespeare Festival and the Beethoven

Festival. While MWMF is the least-funded

leg of the stool, it is more important to the

FUTURE of Winona because it is supported

by the youngest cohort of fans and artists.

Because of MWMF, Winona is considered by

Twin Cities young people (20-35) to be "one

of the coolest small towns in the midwest

to come for a weekend". It is this kind of

reputation that fuels the desire for young

people in the midwest to visit Winona, settle

down in Winona and further grow Winona's

reputation as the "Island of the Arts."

- Don, WSU Economics professor

and owner of Carriage HouseMid West Music Fest has demonstrated time

and time again that music can bring together

different generations, different cultures and

different social groups. Music performed

live and at inclusive venues, for example

the Levee Park in Winona, help break down

barriers, provide a shared experience, as

well as build and showcase a community.

Perhaps of equal importance, events like this

help to promote vibrant communities which

are critical to maintaining and attracting the

next generation of leaders.

- Lyle Blanchard, Jumpstart Sales Inc.

Music helps express how we communicate

with the world, cures loneliness, and adds

beauty to all our lives. That's why donating

to MWMF is so important.

- Mario, Beer By Bike Brigade

We feel great about giving to MWMF

because we love going with our kids, and

enjoy the mix of friends from town and out

of town guests the festival brings together.

We understand that to bring this all to our

small city it takes a special generosity from

those who want to see music thrive.

- Jacob, Community Member

MID WEST MUSIC FEST8