Drum roll for our next Main Stage artist highlight….🥁 Crys Matthews !!! . Already being hailed as “the next Woody Guthrie,” Nashville resident Crys Matthews is among the brightest stars of the new generation of social justice music-makers. A powerful lyricist whose songs of compassionate dissent reflect her lived experience as what she lightheartedly calls “the poster child for intersectionality,” Justin Hiltner of Bluegrass Situation called Matthews’s gift “a reminder of what beauty can occur when we bridge those divides.” She is made for these times and, with the release of her new, hope-fueled, love-filled social justice album Changemakers, Matthews hopes to take her place alongside some of her heroes in the world of social-justice music like Sweet Honey in the Rock and Holly Near. Of Matthews, ASCAP VP & Creative Director Eric Philbrook says, “By wrapping honest emotions around her socially conscious messages and dynamically delivering them with a warm heart and a strong voice, she lifts our spirits just when we need it most in these troubled times.” . We are honored to have Crys performing at Hiawatha! Get your tickets today! 🎟️ . . . #happyhiawatha #hiawathamusicfestival #hiawathamusiccoop #crysmatthews (fb)

Children can get into the Festival Artwork Contest, too! Kids between 5 and 12 can submit a simple line drawing, and the winning design will be screened onto hundreds of kid’s T-shirts for the Hiawatha Traditional Music Festival. At the Children’s Crafts area, kids can have the opportunity to add color or tie dye to their very own T-shirts with paint, fabric markers, and color dye. SUBMISSIONS DUE FRIDAY, MAY 30th ✍️ . Designs should feature themes of Hiawatha, which include music, nature, camping, community, and/or family fun. The winner will receive $25! . Here’s how to submit: on a plain white piece of 8.5 x 11” paper, and using a black marker, draw a picture that reflects your experiences of the Festival, and your love for Hiawatha! Mail, email, or drop off your submissions by May 30th at 5 p.m. Here are those contact details: Hiawatha Music Co-op 1015 N. Third Street (at The Village Shopping Center) Marquette, MI 49855 📬 hiawathamc@gmail.com 💻 . . . #happyhiawatha #kidstshirtcontest #hiawathamusicfestival (fb)