Back to musical roots at Red River Roots

​Back to musical roots at Red River Roots

August 19th, 2025

By John Showalter

john.d.showalter@gmail.com

Bluegrass is a genre of music that is often associated with the American South. Many people would express incredulity at being told there is a thriving bluegrass and folk music community in the Upper Midwest. That is one misconception that Aaron Niehaus, among others, seeks to dispel with Red River Roots, a music festival occurring in September at Crooked Lane Farm. Niehaus plays in a Fargo bluegrass band called Kohlrabi Soup that performs traditional bluegrass music, original songs, and “bluegrass-ified” covers.

“Bluegrass has been a part of my life since I was a kid,” he said. “My mother played in a bluegrass band called Friends in Neighbors. She put lots of energy into getting me exposed to music and motivated me to participate in orchestra.”

Joining the Fargo-Moorhead music scene around the time of COVID, Niehaus started playing with a local group called The Cropdusters as well as in various duos. “Kohlrabi Soup started off as one of such duos and grew into what it currently is due to the niche it fills in the music community for hard-hitting old school bluegrass music,” he explained.

This niche, it turns out, is one that has just been waiting to be populated.

“Ever since I started going to bluegrass festivals, I found it difficult to believe that such a thing doesn't exist around the Red River Valley region,” said Niehaus. “People in the Fargo-Moorhead area drive for hours to get a taste of bluegrass music, but somehow that niche is not filled locally in our community. Encouraged by the success of Kohlrabi Soup, and the success of a handful of bluegrass/folk events we've put on in conjunction with Swing Barrel Brewing and The Aquarium, we decided to give this a shot when we started planning in January 2025.”

“The festival is a grassroots initiative, an expression of the desires of a number of colleagues in the music community,” he continued. “Countless hours have been volunteered to help make this event a reality, a conglomeration of wishes that local musicians and music lovers have had for a while.”

Among those who desired such a festival to come to fruition is one of Red River Roots’ sponsors, Bluegrass Association of North Dakota (B.A.N.D).

“Each year, B.A.N.D puts on a bluegrass festival at Cross Ranch State Park in Washburn ND. This festival draws crowds from all over North Dakota and is heavily focused on the traditional southern sound,” said Niehaus. “There are jam circles in Fargo that meet regularly at community jams like the Troll Lounge and Swing Barrel Brewing Co.”

Naturally, the Midwest puts their own spin on the bluegrass music tradition that differentiates it from that of the South.

“The folk/bluegrass culture in North Dakota and Minnesota varies substantially from the culture in a state like Kentucky,” explained Niehaus. “Bluegrass music is formed around a culture of jamming, wherein musicians will sit in a circle and…

Read more...

Recently in:

By Alicia Underlee Nelsonalicia@hpr1.comDairy Queen restaurants across the country will raise funds for Children’s Miracle Network hospitals during Miracle Treat Day on Thursday, July 31. At least one dollar from every Blizzard…

By Alicia Underlee Nelsonalicia@hpr1.comFM Pride Week returns to the Fargo-Moorhead metro August 3-10. A snapshot of events are listed below. Discover event descriptions and locations as well as volunteer opportunities online at…

August 28, 6-8 p.m.Plains Art Museum, 704 1st Ave. N., Fargo See this major exhibition firsthand and hear about Rimer Cardillo’s work from the artist himself at 7 p.m. Cardillo is an internationally renowned multidisciplinary…

By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.com I’m going to go ahead and say it. I have trust issues with a lot of things and artificial intelligence (AI) is one of them. Yes, it’s a tool that can sit shotgun and make your everyday tasks…

By Ed Raymondfargogadfly@gmail.comWill the disappeared ever be able to appear again? Not likely!In dictionaries more than a decade old, the word “disappear” appears all alone. The definition: “to pass out of sight either…

By Rick Gionrickgion@gmail.com Holiday wine shopping shouldn’t have to be complicated. But unfortunately it can cause unneeded anxiety due to an overabundance of choices. Don’t fret my friends, we once again have you covered…

By Rick Gionrickgion@gmail.com There seems to be a renaissance in Italian restaurants in the Fargo-Moorhead metro area. It’s a welcome change from just sporting an Olive Garden as a lone option. No offense to Marilyn Hagerty’s…

By John Showalterjohn.d.showalter@gmail.com Bluegrass is a genre of music that is often associated with the American South. Many people would express incredulity at being told there is a thriving bluegrass and folk music community…

By Greg Carlsongregcarlson1@gmail.com Shortly following its world premiere in January, first-time feature filmmaker Kate Beecroft’s “East of Wall” won the NEXT section’s audience award at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. A…

By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.com 2025 marks three years of the Annual Vergas Area Backroads Art Crawl. The art crawl is sponsored by the Vergas Arts Club. The Arts Club also happens to be part of the Vegas Community Club and both…

Alicia Underlee Nelsonalicia@hpr1.comPenn & Teller are returning to their roots. The legendary magic and comedy duo will appear on the Crown Stage at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival in Shakopee, Minnesota, where they first…

By Annie Prafckeannieprafcke@gmail.com AUSTIN, Texas – As a Chinese-American, connecting to my culture through food is essential, and no dish brings me back to my mother’s kitchen quite like hotdish. Yes, you heard me right –…

By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comNew Jamestown Brewery Serves up Local FlavorThere’s something delicious brewing out here on the prairie and it just so happens to be the newest brewery west of the Red River and east of the…

By Dr. Marc Sapir, MD, MPHjessica@pellienpublicrelations.com Across America, families are quietly struggling with a rising challenge: how to care for aging parents, siblings, grandparents, neighbors and friends. Most seniors want…

By Alicia Underlee NelsonProtests against President Trump’s policies and the cuts made by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) are planned across North Dakota and western Minnesota Friday, April 4 and…

By Vern Thompsonvern.thompson@rocketmail.com Working in the Bakken oil fields of the Williston Basin is so different from my home in Fargo. I'm not judging, because the people working and living in western North Dakota are very…