Festival Of Belonging at Wild River State Park

Composer and NeuroArtist JG Everest and Wavelets Creative present the first ever "Festival Of Belonging" at Wild River State Park, across four weekends in August and September, 2025. Each date of the Festival will feature a different slate of interactive activities, workshops, and outdoor site-specific performance installations, featuring dance, poetry, storytelling, visual art, and music. The centerpiece of the Festival  will be the world premiere of Everest's latest spatial “symphony” sound installation, the Wild River Sound Garden, running each day of the Festival from 9am-5pm in the wooded area outside of the Wild River Visitor Center.  Inside this immersive, creative environment will be a range of activities, including yoga and Qi Gong classes, Watercoloring and Print Making workshops, creative writing, "Human Wind Chimes" and roving live performances by the Free Range Orchestra.  There will also be a series of nature walks and presentations held in the visitor center and on adjacent trails. All events are free, with MN State Parks vehicle permit.

The Festival of Belonging is the culminating project of Everest’s yearlong MNPAiR Artist Residency at Wild River State Park, and is presented by Wavelets Creative with support from the Friends of Wild River State Park, The MN DNR, MN Legacy Amendment, Forecast Public Art, The East Central Regional Arts Council (ECRAC), and the MNPAiR Artist Residency Program.