Our Story

 The Ridges & Rivers Book Festival began as a collaboration between the Driftless Writing Center and the McIntosh Memorial Library to celebrate reading, writing, creativity, and community. Sponsoring events that would appeal to a broad range of people and made possible by countless hours of volunteer hours, our inaugural event in 2023 featured more than 30 presenters and authors and 1,000-plus attendees. Our next chapter led us to create Ridges & Rivers Inc. to continue our mission of creating an exciting and entertaining event for everyone.

Land Acknowledgement

The Ridges & Rivers Book Festival is based in Viroqua, Wisconsin. We acknowledge that we come to you from the historical land of the Ho-Chunk people – we honor their survival, their cultural resilience, and their continued stewardship of local lands.

Non-Discrimination Policy and Code of Conduct:

The Ridges & Rivers Book Festival is an inclusive community event that embraces diversity and seeks to engage and inspire readers and the authors who write for them. Our goal is to create a safe and supportive environment for people to explore literature, visual art, and ideas.

The Ridges & Rivers Book Festival welcomes attendees and participants of all ages, abilities, genders, gender identities and expressions, sexual orientations, physical appearances, races, ethnicities, and religions. We are committed to making reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities.

We do not tolerate harassment in any form and reserve the right to remove from any Ridges & Rivers Book Festival event those who engage in harassing behavior including but not limited to unwanted advances, stalking, verbal threats, inappropriate statements or gestures, disruption of speakers, and disrespectful comments that go beyond the boundaries of civil disagreement, civic discourse, or community standards. This may include remarks or actions that target people based on certain characteristics that include but are not limited to race, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnicity, or disability status.

Please keep the event spaces smoke-free. Weapons are prohibited unless carried by on-duty law enforcement agents.

Speakers are asked to frame discussions as openly and inclusively as possible and to be aware of how language or images may be perceived by others. Participants may exercise the option of leaving a presentation or an exhibit.

As a participant in this festival, you agree to the above Policy of Non-discrimination and Code of Conduct.

Board of Directors

Trina Erickson
President

Lisa Henner
Secretary

Richard Running
Treasurer

Haylee Harris

David Hartberg

David Hough

Julie Mills

Organizers

Dian Krause

Laura Meeks

Darlene Buhr

Shauna Anderson

Maggie Strittmater
McIntosh Memorial Library

Tanja Birke

Gabriela Marvan

Gema Carrillo

Laci Sheldon
McIntosh Memorial Library

Gidget Moore
Viroqua Area Schools

Karen Innis headshot

Karen Innis

Deb Clark

Pam Kalinosky

Pam Vig

Kristen Parrott
Vernon County Historical Society

Carol Krogan
Vernon County Historical Society

McIntosh Memorial Library

 

205 South Rock Avenue, Viroqua, Wisconsin

 

(608) 637-7151 Ext. 8