Flannel shirts, foamy steins and a Johnny Cash tribute act are converging on Waite Park this Saturday as LEDGEtober Flannel Fest returns to The Ledge Amphitheater for its fifth year. The festival runs from 2 to 7 p.m. at the venue's 1700 Parkway Drive location, mixing live music, beverage sampling, games and contests into one fall afternoon built for people 21 and older with valid ID.
The event has become a reliable autumn fixture for the St. Cloud area, and this year's lineup keeps the format that's carried it since it began, according to WJON. Musical guests include local artist Tammy Jo, the Church of Cash — a Johnny Cash tribute band, per St. Cloud Live — and Mason Dixon Line, which will close out the day with its Creedence Clearwater Revival tribute show. The full bill also includes beer and wine sampling, games, on-stage contests, prize giveaways, food trucks and craft vendors.
A Schedule Built Around Sampling And Contests
According to the festival's official event page, beverage sampling runs from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m., giving attendees a two-hour window to work through the offerings before the day's contests take the stage. From 5 to 5:30 p.m., organizers have slated the Best Beard, Best Dressed and Stein Holding contests, the latter featuring two separate divisions this year, the station's report notes. Mason Dixon Line then takes over from 5:30 to 7 p.m. for its set, billed as Born On the Bayou, a tribute to John Fogerty and Creedence Clearwater Revival.
Both the Best Beard and Best Dressed contests are returning fixtures, and the stein-holding format has been part of the festival's identity for years. A lineup announcement from KNSI Radio confirmed the same trio of contests months ahead of the event, and a 2023 recap from 103.7 The Loon shows yard games, craft breweries, contests, food and live entertainment were already central to the festival's early years.
New This Year: Root Beer And Ginger Beer
One addition for 2026 is Bad Habit Brewing Company, which is providing root beer and ginger beer at LEDGEtober for the first time, giving non-alcoholic sampling options alongside the usual beer and wine lineup. The Boy Scouts of America are the featured nonprofit at this year's event, continuing the festival's practice of pairing its music and games with a community partner.
LEDGEtober's growth has been steady rather than explosive. Last year's festival, held October 4, 2025, drew more than 1,300 people — up slightly from the year before, per the same account from WJON. That 2025 event offered sampling from 15 breweries and wineries, with contest winners each receiving $100 and a Ledge swag bag, while a grand-prize package valued at $850 included a one-night Holiday Inn stay, dinner at Legend's Bar and Grill, and two tickets to a 2026 Ledge concert. Live music that year came from Mason Dixon Line and Michael Shynes & The Long Way Home, according to Explore Minnesota.
Tickets And Entry Rules
Early-bird tickets were priced at $35 from May 15 through August 31, with the price rising to $40 starting September 1, according to the venue's event listing. Entry remains restricted to attendees age 21 and older who present valid identification.
