Where the Music Magic Began!
Bluegrass has brought more people together and made more friends than any music in the world. You meet people at festivals and renew acquaintances year after year.
- Bill Monroe -
1. The Inspiration
In the late 1990s, brothers Larry and Doug Sebranek visited the Telluride Bluegrass Festival in Colorado. They were disappointed by the shift toward rock music and felt a need for an authentic bluegrass experience.
2. A Vision
On their drive home to La Farge, Wisconsin, the brothers decided to start their own festival to preserve traditional bluegrass music.
The official "Larry"
3. The Location
The ideal setting was their own maple syrup farm in a quiet, rural valley in Vernon County, Wisconsin.
4. The First Festival
The first event in the summer of 1997 was initially called the Bohemian Glen Music Festival, after their family farm. It began as a private event with around 50 friends and family members attending, featuring performances from six local bands.
5. Evolving the Name
We said goodbye to Doug in 2015
After the first year, the event's organizers decided a shorter, more marketable name was needed. The group suggested the name "LarryFest," honoring Larry Sebranek, and it stuck.
6. The Sebranek Family
The Sebranek family, known for its musical tradition, was the driving force behind the festival. The traditional opening act was "The In Laws," led by their father, Virgil Sebranek, Aunt Beck, and John Pesik, Sr.
Virgil Sebranek
7. LarryFest Today
Held annually, LarryFest has become a respected annual bluegrass music festival held on the Sebranek farm.
8. Promoting Music
It is organized by the Kickapoo Valley Acoustic Music Association (KVAMA), a nonprofit created by the Sebranek family to promote bluegrass, folk, and old-time music.
9. A Community Event
Aunt Beck
The festival remains an intimate event with a strong sense of community, with two stages of live music, featuring the Main Stage and the Little Valley Stage. It also features rustic camping, and an RV area within the scenic Wisconsin valley.
10. Volunteer - Driven
A unique aspect of LarryFest is its entirely volunteer-run staff, from those serving food to the grounds keepers, security, and courtesy drivers.
