Art, Music, and Community: DDI Brings New Arts Programming to Crawford County Farmers Markets

Farmers markets have always been about more than groceries. They're where communities gather — where neighbors catch up, kids discover new foods, and local producers connect directly with the people they feed. This summer, Crawford County's markets are adding something more: live music, arts performances, demonstrations, and hands-on experiences that make market day an event worth showing up for.

Driftless Development, Inc. has been awarded a $4,580 grant from the Wisconsin Arts Board to bring expanded arts programming to farmers markets across Crawford County. The grant will fund live music performances, arts demonstrations, group art activities, and other creative programming woven into the market experience throughout the season.

Arts and Markets Go Together

There's a reason the best farmers markets feel like community celebrations. Music slows people down. Art invites curiosity. A demonstration draws a crowd and starts a conversation. When artists and farmers share the same space, both benefit — and so does everyone who shows up.

Crawford County has talented artists, musicians, and performers who deserve more opportunities to share their work with their neighbors. And our markets deserve to be destinations, not just stops. This grant makes both possible.

Programming may include live musical performances, artist demonstrations, group and participatory art projects, and other creative events — with the goal of giving local artists real venues and giving market visitors experiences they weren't expecting.

Bigger, Better Kids Art Projects in Prairie du Chien

The Prairie du Chien Farmers Market already runs a weekly kids art project — a beloved fixture for families who make market day part of their summer routine. Thanks to this grant, that programming gets a meaningful upgrade this season: more materials, more ambition, and more memorable experiences for the kids who participate.

If you've got young ones, that's a reason to make the PdC market a regular stop this summer.

Good for Artists, Good for Communities

Rural communities don't always have abundant venues for artists to perform and show their work. Farmers markets — weekly, outdoor, community-centered — are a natural fit. This grant is an investment in both the vitality of our markets and the creative economy of Crawford County.

If you're a local artist or performer interested in being part of this programming, we want to hear from you.