Hennepin Fest illuminates women musicians, artists

On Saturday, May 31, 2025, Hennepin History Museum will host Hennepin Fest, a free outdoor festival in Whittier’s Washburn Fair Oaks Park featuring music and poetry from local women and LGBTQ+ artists. 

It will be the first time the museum has ever hosted a music festival. Development manager Claire Leslie Johnson said the festival was conceived to bring the community together and explore the legacy and history of women and LGBTQ+ artists in the Twin Cities.

“Through Hennepin Fest, we want to illuminate women artists who serve as culture bearers and are transmitting personal and community history through music and art,” she said. 

The museum also organized the festival to “empower women and LGBTQ+ folks right now at a time in the history of this country when our rights are being threatened,” added Leslie Johnson. 

Concerts are the main focus of Hennepin Fest, which will run the duration of the festival and feature four performances from local women artists whose music spans multiple genres including rap, blues, jazz, funk, and pop. Diane Miller, host of 89.3 The Current’s Local Show will serve as both emcee and DJ with Connie Evingson, Annie Mack, NUNNABOVE, and Maria Isa, all scheduled to perform. 

Between performances, poets Heid E. Erdich, Joyce Sutphen, and Mary Moore Easter will share spoken word. There will also be a dedicated section of the park where attendees can peruse art and handmade goods from local artisans, buy food and drinks, and enjoy family-friendly activities. 

Leslie Johnson said Hennepin History Museum does not view itself as a “sleepy” history museum, and they are hoping to prove that with Hennepin Fest. 

“What we really want to do is talk about how history is relevant to people’s lives today and we want to talk about how we are living history right now,” she said. 

One way they are doing so is by asking each artist to play a song during their set from a local woman musician who inspired them and share why with the audience. 

“The Twin Cities has such a great music scene and there’s so much inspiration for musicians and artists,” said Leslie Johnson, specifically naming artists like Lizzo and the Andrews Sisters and historic venues like the Dakota Jazz Club and First Avenue. “We really want to highlight that important history in our community.”

Hennepin Fest came together in a few short months, after the museum learned in December it had received a grant from the Minnesota Humanities Center’s Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund. The festival is also funded in part by a handful of local sponsors. 

Leslie Johnson anticipates this year’s festival will draw about 1,000 attendees. The museum may host another Hennepin Fest in the future, pending additional funding, she said. 

Hennepin Fest will take place Saturday, May 31 from 2-7 p.m. at Washburn Fair Oaks Park, across the street from the museum. Admission to the festival is free, but reservations are encouraged. Tickets can be reserved at hennepinhistory.org/hennepinfest.