Georgia Riley Pellkofer was 25 years old when she died from an epileptic seizure in 2022, and this month her family is throwing a festival in downtown Petaluma to make sure her joyful spirit — and the cause she cared about — keeps growing. G Fest returns to the Foundry Wharf Lawn for its second year on September 19, with live music, food, an auction and speakers all built around epilepsy awareness.
Organizers set a fundraising goal of $60,000 for the Georgia Riley Pellkofer Foundation Endowment this year. Proceeds support several epilepsy-related causes, including Camp Coelho. The Press Democrat reports that a significant portion goes to the Epilepsy Foundation of Northern California. The event runs from noon to 6 p.m. at 625 Second Street, with general admission tickets at $100 and student tickets at $50 — both including food and drinks, while children 12 and under get in free. As The Press Democrat reports, organizers expanded this year's program and expect a larger crowd throughout the afternoon.
Georgia lived with epilepsy for most of her life and had experienced several grand mal seizures in the months before her death, per the same account. Her mother, Trinity Pellkofer, says the festival celebrates her daughter's joyful spirit and helps the family heal, while her father, Frank Pellkofer, has said G Fest was built around Georgia's love of music, dancing, food and people. Georgia founded Santa Rosa Junior College's Girls Who Code chapter, which her father says was the first at the community college level in California, and she loved bringing people together — qualities the festival was designed to reflect.
From Family Recipe to Regional Cause
The Pellkofer family established the Georgia Riley Pellkofer Foundation, and G Fest grew directly out of the foundation's advocacy and outreach efforts. Between 2023 and 2026, the foundation contributed $14,500 to the Epilepsy Foundation of Northern California to directly support youth camp scholarships and local epilepsy outreach, according to blikeg.org, where tickets and information for this year's festival are also available.
This year's lineup features the Radshap Allstars — Scott Law, Dan Luehring, Danny Eisenberg and Brian Rashap — along with Farmer Arann, led by Arann Harris, and Northern Disconnection, which includes Nathan Eichert and Georgia's brother, Evan Pellkofer. Food includes Pellkoferwurst bratwurst made from a family recipe, potato salad and fresh-baked goods, alongside beer from Old Caz Brewing Co. and wine from local wineries.
Funding Camp Coelho
A significant portion of money raised through G Fest goes to the Epilepsy Foundation of Northern California, while the event's proceeds support several epilepsy-related organizations, including Camp Coelho. Camp Coelho is among the epilepsy-related causes supported by the event.
The camp provides a residential program for youth ages 9 to 17, operating with a 3-to-1 camper-to-counselor ratio alongside 24-hour medical oversight from specialized neurologists and registered nurses, per the Epilepsy Foundation of Northern California. Campers take part in sports, theater and art. Natalia Sucher, executive director of the Epilepsy Foundation of Northern California, has said campers develop a sense of identity without their disability defining them. Trinity Pellkofer now volunteers at the camp as an art docent. Trinity also works as a fourth- and fifth-grade teacher at Mary Collins School at Cherry Valley.
A Filmmaker's Push to Reframe Epilepsy on Screen
Miles Levin is a 31-year-old Santa Rosa filmmaker who has lived with epilepsy since childhood. Levin's short film Under the Lights was released in 2020 and starred Pearce Joza and Alyssa Jirrels. He expanded it into a feature after winning the $50,000 AT&T Untold Stories Fan Favorite Award at the 2022 Tribeca Film Festival, according to the Bohemian. Levin has said people should recognize the lives lived between seizures, not just the seizures themselves.
Nilika Shah Singhal, interim director of the Pediatric Epilepsy Center of Excellence at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital San Francisco, has said community events like G Fest can replace misconceptions about epilepsy with better understanding. G Fest speakers this year will discuss both epilepsy and living with the disorder, as well as ways the broader community can offer support.
Why the Cause Reaches Far Beyond Petaluma
The scale of the need is significant. Per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, California leads the nation in active epilepsy cases, with an estimated 427,700 residents living with the condition, including 367,900 adults and 59,800 children, according to CDC data published in 2017. The Epilepsy Foundation of Northern California serves more than 180,000 people across its service territory.
The condition also carries serious risks, including sudden unexpected death in epilepsy, or SUDEP. Some families managing severe seizure disorders also turn to professionally trained seizure-response dogs.
For the Pellkofer family, G Fest remains rooted in a simple idea: turning Georgia's love of music, food and community into lasting support for the young people navigating the same condition she did. The inaugural festival was held in 2025, and organizers are hoping this year's expanded lineup and $60,000 goal push that mission even further.
