Winstock Country Music Festival facts for kids

The Winstock Country Music Festival is a big two-day music event held in Winsted, Minnesota, USA. It's all about country music! Each day, about 12,000 to 15,000 people come to enjoy the shows. The festival usually happens in the first two weeks of June. Many people see it as the first big country music festival of the summer in the upper Midwest region.

How Winstock Started

The Winstock Country Music Festival began in 1994. It was started by a group of people who supported Holy Trinity School and Parish. Their main goal was to raise money for the school and church. The very first Winstock festival took place at the Winsted Municipal Airport. A famous local country singer named Paulette Carlson was one of the main performers.

Winstock Grows Bigger

Since its start, Winstock has grown a lot! The festival moved across the road to land that it now owns. This new spot allows for things like camping and special reserved seats. In 2005, a second stage was added. This stage is called the "emerging artist stage." It gives new and rising music stars a chance to perform. Some artists who played there before they became very famous include Keith Anderson, Little Big Town, and Sugarland.

Many well-known country music stars have performed at Winstock over the years. These include Montgomery Gentry, Reba McEntire, Brad Paisley, Brett Eldredge, Brooks and Dunn, Martina McBride, Lee Brice, Gary Allan, and Blake Shelton.