It’s time to celebrate the earth and BRT’s RE-birth Wednesday, April 22nd! We will be featuring the film, “The Spirit of the Driftless”, presented by Ryan Howe and members of Sustainable Driftless. Music by Mac & Katie, Julie Patchouli, and Ryan Howe, three groups with deep connections to this beautiful region we call home! TWO shows – 3pm and 7pm. It’s always a special day, and we hope you can come to be a part of it!

Film

Spirit of the Driftless: The film takes audiences on an extraordinary journey—soaring with raptors, hiking rugged bluffs, paddling quiet waters, exploring archaeological features, and venturing into hidden caves. It truly embodies the Spirit of the Driftless. The movie is dedicated to George Howe, a founder of Sustainable Driftless, Inc., who led the filming expeditions but passed away in February 2024 before the editing was complete.

“It is a fitting tribute to George to finalize the film project he was so passionate about,” said Tim Jacobson, president of Sustainable Driftless. “His spirit lives on through this film and the causes he championed.”

Spirit of the Driftless offers a fresh perspective on the landscape, with a different feel and flavor from its predecessor. Decoding the Driftless earned a regional Emmy, more than 20 film festival awards (including some internationally), and continues to air widely on PBS. It has been broadcast nearly 900 times in 42 states and Canada, reaching a potential audience of more than 100 million viewers.

“Our goal was to provide a new lens on the Driftless landscape,” said Jonas Stenstrom, director of Spirit of the Driftless. “I hope viewers everywhere will come away with a much deeper appreciation for this one-of-a-kind region.”

Music

About Mac & Katie:

Mac Cherry, Katie Henry and Mac Cherry have been playing the upper Mississippi River Valley for the last several years. Their repertoireis an eclectic mix of the duo’s originals, Beatles to Billie Eillish, 50’s torch singers to John Prine, and just about (but not quite) everything in between. Katie is an accomplished pianist and accordion player and Mac has a guitar playing style that is oddly unique and he’s prone to the occasional whistling solo without request. Their vocal blend is something special and their stage presence is usually humorous, sometimes ridiculous and almost always entertaining.

About Julie Patchouli: Julie Patchouli will sing a few of Patchouli’s earthy folk rock anthems and uplifting universal ballads celebrating nature, the cosmos and our human experience on this beautiful planet.