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Remembering La Crosse’s Freedom Fest, that brought groups like Chicago, REO Speedwagon and John Fogerty, to help area veterans

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FILE - Freedom Honor Fest at UW-La Crosse (PHOTO: UWLax.edu)

For a decade, Freedom Fest was more than just a summer event “Yesterday in La Crosse” — it was a heartfelt celebration of our veterans and community spirit.

From 2008 to 2017, the festival brought together thousands each year, blending the thrill of music and motorcycles, while raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for veterans programs, including scholarships.

Bands like REO Speedwagon, Chicago, O.A.R. and the finale of John Fogerty was a grand farewell in 2017 to cap off the festival held at Veterans Memorial Field on the UW-La Crosse campus for most of those years.

  • 2008: Gary Sinise and the Lieutenant Dan Band
  • 2009: REO Speedwagon
  • 2010: Three Dog Night
  • 2011: Chicago
  • 2012: Huey Lewis and the News
  • 2013: Chicago, Heart
  • 2014: Gary Sinise and the Lieutenant Dan Band; Huey Lewis and the News were scheduled but did not perform due to weather.
  • 2015: Heart, Phillip Phillips
  • 2016: Lynyrd Skynyrd, O.A.R.
  • 2017: John Fogerty

About 1,200 showed to hear Gary Sinise and his “Lieutenant Dan Band” open the series in 2008 with an unforgettable indoor performance, after a thunderstorm rolled in.

FILE: Actor Gary Sinise and his Lt. Dan Band performed at Freedom Fest on two occasions.

In year four, they were back to open for Huey Lewis and the News, as Freedom Fest had become a La Crosse tradition with over 6,000 fans in the audience.

The event, though, was more than just a concert series, Freedom Fest was a labor of love by Don Weber and Pat Stephens to help veterans.

In 2010, headlined by Three Dog Night, Freedom Fest took place the same day as the Freedom Honor Flight, welcoming home veterans from a trip to Washington, D.C. — another La Crosse tradition that is still going.

Since Freedom Fest’s conclusion, other concert series have sprung up.

One that began last summer was the Big River Rally, which featured Buckcherry and Jackyl, and sought to raise funds for the Freedom Honor Flight, as well as the Children’s Miracle Network.

Like Freedom Fest, this two-day event featured motorcycle rides through the Coulee, as well as a veterans breakfast and more.

FILE – Buckcherry lead singer Josh Todd performs at Big River Rally in La Crosse on Aug. 16, 2024 at the Oktoberfest grounds (PHOTO: BigRiverRally.com)

Another area tradition that’s gotten bigger every year has been Ashley for the Arts in Arcadia, Wis.

The August concert series set a record donating $750,000 last year to over 70 nonprofits that promote arts, music, and broadening cultural horizons within their communities. The festival is heading into its 16th year and has featured bands like Daughtry, Travis Tritt, Chase Rice, ZZ Top and Hanson.

This year’s lineup, so far, features Darius Rucker and Third Eye Blind.

One other concert lineup also continuing to grow in popularity has been Country Boom in West Salem, Wis. This July series has featured Luke Bryan, Florida Georgia Line, Nelly, Toby Keith and, this year, Lil Jon.

Country Boom gives back to nonprofits that help during the event, as well as the community by supporting events.

A native of Prairie du Chien, Brad graduated from UW - La Crosse and has worked in radio news for more than 30 years, mostly in the La Crosse area. He regularly covers local courts and city and county government. Brad produces the features "Yesterday in La Crosse" and "What's Buried on Brad's Desk." He also writes the website "Triviazoids," which finds odd connections between events that happen on a certain date, and he writes and performs with the local comedy group Heart of La Crosse. Brad been featured on several national TV programs because of his memory skills.

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