Welcome Home
Thank you for being part of our family
To all of you coming to this page, thank you for being with and helping us create something truly special in the heartland. You know what this festival is about and why it’s important. You are our number-one fans and the festival is a such a transformative event also because of YOU.
This page is full of resources to bring you closer to the music, stories and people you love.
Musician’s Stories
On this page, you’ll find the blog posts about the stories behind the scenes: interviews with musicians, contemplations on the role of music in our society, and the many stories that happen at Crossroads that you might not see from the stage. And you can always check out our full blog if you want to see the latest news, playlists and all the other fun content we post there regularly.
Keep in touch
If you want to stay in the loop, consider signing up for our mailing list, where you’ll get updated when we release blog posts and announce insider events like musician hangs, impromptu receptions and the like. If there’s something you’d like to see on this page, let us know and send a message to Erik (ehiggins@NebraskaMusicFest.org) or Olga (osmola@NebraskaMusicFest.org).
Consider supporting the festival
Crossroads is offered free to the community as a gift. If you would like to help the festival continue beautifully into the future, consider supporting us financially. Every little bit counts!
The stories that define Crossroads
The NEA Just Terminated Our Funding: A Personal Reflection on Censorship, Art, and Resilience
When our NEA grant was abruptly terminated, we were stunned—not just by the loss of funding, but by the language used to justify it. In this personal reflection, Executive Director Olga Smola draws on her Soviet upbringing to examine the chilling echoes of censorship, the importance of artistic freedom, and what’s at stake when politics invades the arts. Read how Nebraska Crossroads is responding—with resilience, music, and an unshakable belief in the power of creative expression.
Dream Warriors Project Part 1
Behind the scenes at the 2024 Nebraska Crossroads Music Festival, Indigenous hip-hop collective Dream Warriors and Swedish producers Fredrik Serholt and Paulina Délin came together for the first time to create new music. Joined by visual artist Sarah Rowe, the group crafted five original tracks and artwork in just a few days — a powerful testament to creativity, trust, and collaboration.
Backstage Stories – Part 1: Humberto Gonzales and a Taste of Buena Vista Social Club in the Midwest
From the global stages of Buena Vista Social Club to the quiet streets of Marshalltown, Iowa, Humberto Garcia Raul Gonzales’ journey is a story of resilience, passion, and rediscovery. This is a story about the hidden talent in our communities—and how a little support can help extraordinary artists find their way back to the spotlight.
Special Thanks to our Underwriting and Co-Presenting Sponsors!
