Windblown Art Festival

An eclectic mix of song and poetry usually found in larger venues will be gracing a prairie stage in peaceful Bushnell this weekend.

Deb Carpenter-Nolting and husband Tim Nolting have been a large part of the Bushnell Days festival for many years. Deb has put a lot of energy, time and money into supporting Bushnell however, the events that she was supporting started to dwindle after awhile.

One day she thought, “If I’m going to put this much time and effort into (a festival for Bushnell) I wanted it to be music.”

So last year she and her family set out to do just that. This year is the second annual Windblown Arts Festival in Bushnell.

The definition of windblown is “exposed to, or affected by, the wind”. Well, we certainly have wind and it’s a fair assessment to say that we are affected by it.

Music can also affect you, even when you least expect it; just being near music can change your mood, thoughts and emotions.

The 2nd Annual Windblown Arts Festival, which is free to the public, will be held in Bushnell this weekend, beginning at 11 a.m. Music and Poetry are to be the main attractions, yet, what is a music festival without amazing food and a beer garden?

Beer and Loathing will be catering the beer garden again this year. Owner, Nate Entingh will there selling his selection of Nebraska craft beers from multiple breweries across the state, as well as the more popular and traditional imports and micro brews. No outside alcohol is allowed into the event.

Lots of great food will also be available for sale throughout the day. Bratwurst, wings, and other homemade festival-type favorites can be purchased from local vendor Juan Rocha.

Martin Gilmore will kick off the festival at 11 a.m. with his clear sound of American music featuring folk, bluegrass, country and swing. Gilmore, who hails from Denver, Colo., has performed all over the United States, Canada and Ireland.

From 12:15 to 1:15, Ben Treffer, a talented singer and songwriter from Scottsbluff, will share his musical gifts featuring mostly country music. Treffer is an experienced performer, having opened for Marty Stuart in 2013.

Tim Nolting, a well known Village of Bushnell board member and Kimball County Commissioner, is truly a gifted writer and cowboy poet. Nolting’s smooth, melodious tenor voice is the perfect paint brush for his thoughtful yet humorous western poetry. Nolting will perform from 1:30 to 2 and again from 3:15 to 3:45.

Deb Carpenter-Nolting, creatrix of the Windblown Arts fest, co-owner of Sister’s Grimm and local woman, will share her contemporary love songs and historical ballads from 2 until 2:30 and again from 4 till 4:30.eryone will enjoy her sound and lyrics written from the heart.

Attendees will have two chances to enjoy the Denver, Colo., native and award-winning singer, Liz Masterson, also known as the Songbird of the Stage, who will bring her distinctive voice featuring western song, yodeling, humor and spontaneous interaction to the crowd. Masterson, who has eight albums, will be on stage starting at 2:30 and again at 4:30.

Jake McIntosh, a Kimball singer and songwriter, will end the afternoon’s festivities with an hour of his heartfelt and introspective musical storytelling. McIntosh’s style is a bit reminiscent of Harry Chapin but with all the modern thoughts and emotions of today.

Music CDs will be available for purchase from all performers.

Sponsors for the event are Sisters Grimm, Beer and Loathing, Western Nebraska Observer, FirsTier Bank, and Points West Insurance.