FORT FEST 2025

Welcome to the second annual Fort Fest! Join us at this FREE music festival suitable for all ages, presented by The Fort & Happy Productions Studios. Experience local talented artists performing live on the back lawn of The Historic Grant House Hotel in Rush City, MN on Saturday, September 20th, 2025. Enjoy browsing art vendors scattered around the lawn, grab a bite from Tiki Tim’s food truck, savor drinks & mocktails from the outdoor bar located at the top of the hill and let the kids play under the kid's tent while you unwind.

A special thanks to our local sponsors who help us ensure that we can keep this as a FREE event for everyone to enjoy!

Logo of RUSH City Car Wash featuring a cartoon frog taking a bath in a bathtub with soap and water, with the text "RUSH CITY CAR WASH" arched above and "Est. 1976" below.
A green and black graphic design with the words "HARD OR DYE" inside a square border, with small illustrations of flowers.
East Central Energy logo with blue and red lettering and lightning bolt symbol.
Logo of 3 Twenty Brew Co featuring a stylized beer with foam, the number 3, and the text 'Twenty Brew Co'.
Colorful vintage-style sign for Fort, featuring horizontal stripes in green, yellow, orange, beige, and red, with a silhouette of a forest at the bottom and text announcing a fort festival, and small decorative stars around the top.
Sign that spells out
Lupulin Brewing logo with a white hop cone illustration inside a black circle with yellow border, labeled Big Lake, Minnesota
A three-story brick building with a vertical sign reading 'Food and Lodging.' The building has several windows, some with white frames, and a small balcony on the side. The ground floor has a storefront with a sign that says 'The Fort.' The surrounding area shows snow on the ground, a white picket fence, and street signs, including a stop sign, with a cloudy sky overhead.

THE LINEUP

We’re celebrating year two of cheers & joy and Live Music at The Fort. Our Lineup for Fort Fest 2025 will consist of some of our past resident musicians for our Live Music Tuesday Series - HOW COOL! Get ready to throw down a boot stomping boogie and dance your a** off with us ALL DAY LONG!

11:30-12:30 THE STAR CHIEFS

12:50-1:50 - THE GENTLEMAN’S ANTI-TEMPERANCE LEAUGE

2:10-3:10 - DREW PETERSON

3:30-4:40 - DELLWOOD

5:00-6:10 - THE FLORAS

6:30-7:45 - THE JOYANN PARKER DUO

8:10-9:30 - MOEDELL & CO

Poster for the Second Annual Fort Fest 2025, happening on Saturday, September 20th, 2025, at the historic Grant House Hotel. The event features live music, activities for all ages, and local vendors. Headlined bands include The Star Chiefs, Dellwood, The Gentleman's Anti-Temperance League, Drew Peterson, The Floras, The Joyann Parker Duo, and Modell & Co. The event is free, with banners showcasing sponsors East Central Energy, Hairdo or Dye, and Rush City Car/Truck Wash.
 

DETAILS + PARKING

STREET PARKING WILL BE AVAILABLE ALONG E 4TH ST & HWY 61, ST CROIX SCENIC BYWAY. THERE WILL BE LIMITED SPOTS RESERVED IN OUR PARKING LOT FOR HOTEL GUESTS & THE REST OF OUR PARKING LOT IS RESERVED FOR VENDORS AND EVENTS.

Saturday, September
20th, 2025

11:30Am - 10pm

The Fort

& The Grant House
Hotel

80 W 4th Street

Rush City, MN 55069

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO…

A pink cocktail garnished with a lime wedge on a bar counter, flanked by two other drinks with lime and rosemary, and fresh limes and a lemon wedge in the foreground.

  • PARKING WILL BE AVAILABLE ALONG THE STREET ON HWY 61 AND 4TH ST.

    THERE IS ALSO A PUBLIC PARKING LOT ACROSS MAIN STREET FROM THE COMMUNITY PARK. PARKING WILL ALSO BE AVAILABLE IN THE OLD MILL PARKING LOT JUST NORTH ON HIGHWAY 61.

  • WE HIGHLY RECCOMEND BRINGING A LAWN CHAIR OR PICNIC BLANKET, CASH, YOUR ID AND A GOOD ATTITUDE :)

  • WE ASK THAT YOU LEAVE ANY WEAPONS, FLAMMABLES, OUTSIDE FOOD OR BEVERAGE, AND NEGATIVE NANCIES AT HOME ):

    WE DO NOT TOLERATE HARRASMENT, EXCLUSION, HATE SPEECH, RACISM OR NEGATIVITY. WE ASK THAT YOU TREAT ALL STAFF, PERFORMERS, OTHER ATTENDEES AND VENDORS WITH RESPECT.

  • NO! THIS IS A COMPLETELY FREE, OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, ALL AGES EVENT. EVERYONE IS WELCOME.

    A HUGE THANKS TO OUR LOCAL SPONSORS FOR HELPING US KEEP THIS EVENT FREE FOR ALL!

    • HAIRDO OR DYE

    • RUSH CITY CAR WASH,

    • EAST CENTRAL ENERGY

    • THREE TWENTY BREWING

    • LUPULIN BREWING

  • YES! OUR FULL MENU WILL BE AVAILABLE AT OUR BAR OR IN OUR DINING ROOM, AS WELL AS OUR PATIO. WE WILL OPEN THE RESTAURANT AT 10 WITH THE FOOD TRUCK AND OUTDOOR BAR OPENING AT NOON.

  • YES!

    CLEAN HAVEN NATURALS IS HOSTING THEIR ANNUAL FALL MARKET 3 BLOCKS INTO DOWNTOWN RUSH CITY. WE HIGHKY RECCOMEND CHECKING THEM OUT AS WELL.

    MAKE SURE TO STOP BY RUSH CITY BAKERY WHILE YOURE IN TOWN AND PICK UP SOME SWEET TREATS!

    DON’T FORGET TO STOP BY MOULTON’S APPLE ORCHARD LOCATED AT 51513 GAME AVENUE, RUSH CITY. THEY HAVE FALL BEARING RASPBERRIES, PICK YOUR OWN APPLES & FLOWERS (AND GOATS!).

  • WE HAVE SOME FUN VENDORS LINED UP FOR THE DAY, INCLUDING:

    • LYNKED BY ALYSSA - PERMANENT JEWELRY & HOME GOODS

    • HENNA TATTOOS

    • FOREST FIRE ADORNEMENTS - TAROT CARD READINGS

    • LS AGATE CREATIONS - AGATES, AGATE JEWELRY

    IF YOU OR ANYONE YOU KNOW ARE INTERESTED IN BECOMING A VENDOR, PLEASE EMAIL US AT INFO@THEFORTNB.COM