Beaver Island Music Festival, 2026 Recap

By Kevin Alan Lamb

Beaver Island is a spirited, storied, and intentional community with abundant love and generosity boodling through its emerald waters. If the journey is the destination, then the annual Beaver Island Music Festival is a testament to all those who dare explore unfamiliar waters and unpaved roads, going and growing without knowing the way. We explore the world to explore the depths of our soul, hoping we can be foolish enough to make a difference in the world. With a year-round population of about 600, that number grows up to around 5,000 with summer residents and visitor population. Like music, people are drawn to certain places without knowing why. Those bold enough to follow their hearts, listen to their guides, and listen to the music are left with experiences that remind them why they’re alive. 

“It was truly an experience I’ll remember for the rest of my life. I met so many wonderful, awesome, generous people, ” says Carl Grgas of Aqua Cherry. Aqua Cherry is a vibrant, Long Island reggae band known for fusing upbeat, feel-good reggae grooves with rebellious rock and ska influences.

“Shout-out to Mike, Kevin K (Legal Immigrants), 6’7 Kevin. Shout-out to Carol and Dan Burton, Nathan Walton, who was emceeing. Shout-out to Aqua Cherry, shout-out to Rich and Helen (Hosts). It was so awesome to be a part of such a cool, niche festival. The talent was through the roof. Many bands that I’ll forever be a fan of. Gooseberry is one of my favorites. I really was just so taken back by how generous everybody was, and how willing everybody was to accommodate and help out just to help make our experience a positive one. It’s something I’ll never forget. I can’t wait to go back.”

If it takes a different type of person to make a difference, then perhaps it is our foolishness which shows us the way. To places like St. James, Iron Ore Bay, Wild Strawberry Cafe, and backstage at a community music festival in the heart of Michigan. It isn’t easy to get to Beaver Island, and that’s a big part of the charm. 

“This is a community that really brings people together. Some might call us aliens, or illegal immigrants. Either way, it has been quite an amazing little festival and it’s fun to come back,” says South for Winter’s Nick Stone. “There’s never a dull moment in this community, and this is possibly one of the best backyards to perform in, to meet cool people. I mean, who’s going to come out to Beaver Island except for a good legend? We played at Daddy Frank’s earlier today, that was fun. Good jams!”

In the summer of 2014, New Zealander Nick Stone and Coloradan Dani Cichon met as volunteers building greenhouses in South America. There, on a Peruvian rooftop, the two musicians wrote their first of many songs together: a song that would one day become South for Winter’s first single, “Fallen Seeds.”

“I grew up coming to the island,” says thirty-two-year-old Colin Ackerman who lives in San Diego, and comes to Beaver Island at least a month annually. “The family is from the island originally, but we just haven’t been able to make the music festival until this year, and finally did, and now we’re going to make sure we’re there every year because it was a beautiful, beautiful day. It was an incredible mix of musicians, island spirit, and kind of the essence of the island, so I’m looking forward to coming back.” 

At a time when small, community music festivals are crumbling, Beaver Island Music Festival continues to grow and flourish. Roughly 30,000 people visit the island annually, and this intimate three-day community gathering celebrating its twenty-fourth is a big reason why. 

“I had the pleasure of playing banjo and singing with the band South for Winter out of Nashville, Tennessee,” says Michael Murphy. “This was South for Winter’s second time at Beaver Island Music Festival. This was my very first time, and I don’t even know where to begin other than saying a huge thank you to everybody involved in the festival for being so inclusive, and being so kind, caring, and loving to all the artists. We just had an absolute pleasure getting to meet new friends and getting to see old friends. It felt like such a very homey environment and joyous occasion. It was a beautiful weekend to celebrate summer, celebrate Michigan, celebrate Mother Earth, celebrate great music, celebrate good friends, and good times.”

Residents and visitors have the opportunity to host artists in their homes during the festival. This was my fourth Beaver Island Music Festival, and third time staying with Rich and Helen Emerson in their beautiful, lakefront rental property. 

“It was just so fun to be staying with a host family, and explore the island and the stories of the island through their experience and the origins of their home. It’s truly unique when you get to play music and not only share stories about the music, but also share stories about the land and the history of where you were. That’s the best part in my opinion of being a musician, is getting to see all of the things, and getting to hear all the stories. So, we’re so grateful for you on Beaver Island,” says Michael Murphy. 

People are just people, until they become family. Most people on Beaver Island understand the logistics it takes to arrive there, and offer a piece of your heart, art, and magic to the island. Everyone feels the love, making it easy to reciprocate. 

“This is Sweet Meg. I’m in Nashville, Tennessee, and I am here under the trees on an island in the middle of Lake Michigan. It’s incredible. I’m just surrounded by a lot of positive energy, and we just played a set, and it was just wonderful. I got to look at everyone’s faces and see the children dancing, and I’m just really happy to be here and having a great time.”

Sweet Megg is a dynamic, genre-blending vocalist and songwriter who effortlessly weaves early jazz, classic country, western swing, and blues into a completely unique “real hillbilly jazz” sound.

Special shoutout to the legends in Bennett and the Beaver Breakdown—a local Beaver Island Tunes product ranging from 13 to 20-years-old—making their debut performance at Beaver Island Music Festival. Way to “Keep the tunes going”. Tunes Music Makers was founded in 2023 to honor Edward Palmer’s legacy and ensure that every child on Beaver Island has the opportunity to experience the life-changing power of music.

Good ideas come and go, but it takes a village to implement them. Music festivals come and go, but it takes imagination, intention, and inclusion for them to stay. It is my seventh day on Beaver  Island, the smoke from the Canadian fires has cleared, and I feel rested after 24 hours at the Emerald Island Inn. I battled waves at Donegal Bay in thirty-mile-per-hour winds, shared delicious pizza at The Beachcomber with new friends Paul, Tracy, and Quinn; and am prepared for an evening ferry departure knowing I’ve left a piece of my heart on Beaver Island, and I shall one day return.