McCook, Nebraska
June 13th - 15th, 2025
“The most wasted of all days is one without laughter.” ~ e.e. Cummings
The 28th Annual Buffalo Commons Storytelling and Music Festival is packed with opportunities to laugh, have fun, learn and remember. Our nationally renowned storyteller will spin hilariously poignant stories, a one-of-a-kind musical experience will awaken your spirit and make it dance. Visual artists will inspire and stimulate your perceptions, and a walk-through history where history happened will amaze and enlighten. Don’t miss a single extraordinary event--Historic Fox Theatre stage show, dinner cabaret, historical tour and venues, art shows, museum melodies and memories, open mic opportunities, poetry sharing, Kids Fest and more!
2025 Featured Guest Artists and Presenters
don white
There is no one-word description for what Don White does. He’s an award-winning singer/songwriter, a comedian, an author, and a storyteller. He’s been bringing audiences to laughter and tears for 30 years, released nine CDs, three live DVDs, and a book, Memoirs of a C Student.
White has opened for Arlo Guthrie, Richie Havens and shared a bill with David Bromberg, Janis Ian, and Lyle Lovett. He has been featured in storytelling festivals across the country including the National Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough, Tennessee, and the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival in Utah. Since 2015, he has joined Master Storytellers Bil Lepp and Bill Harley in Father’s Daze, a hilarious three-man storytelling show about the triumphs and tribulations of fatherhood.
At every point, White, a native of Lynn, Massachusetts, has been the ultimate observer, infusing his work with his experiences as a husband, father, a seeker, and a joker. He can express the deeper truths that life’s realities deliver in a way that has a light but deeply affecting touch.
No artist on the coffeehouse circuit today is better than Don White at combining the heartfelt aesthetics of the singer-songwriter with side-splitting laughs.
- Scott Alerik in the Boston Globe
Don White pours his experiences and fire for storytelling into his performances. We are excited to welcome him to the Buffalo Commons Storytelling and Music Festival stage for the first time.
todd williams
Todd Williams, a native of Central City, Nebraska, has exhibited his work across the U.S. in galleries, museums, and invitational exhibitions. His works, described as narrative impressionistic, specializes in oil painting and the Alla Prima approach. He enjoys revealing his painting from creation to the finish believing the process is just as important as the final product. Everything is captured in the spontaneous dance and movement of the brush. One of his greatest joys as an artist is for his work to bring the viewer to the soul of the subject, to interact and make a meaningful connection. Oil Painters of America and Impressionists Society Exhibitions recognize Todd Williams’ prestigious status as a Signature member and artist.
One of Todd’s most ambitious projects began after several trips to Europe. The smaller collections that came out of those trips turned into a bigger idea. Why not a series of paintings of Nebraska? He started on his grandparents’ farm at Hordville in Hamilton County. As Williams painted at that location, he had the brainstorm to paint a representation of all 93 Nebraska counties. That was in 2011. By 2017, the resulting oil paintings was a mix of important historical events and prominent people, including former Nebraska football coach Tom Osborne, Chief Blackbird, Lewis and Clark, and Johnny Carson. He also painted landscapes across the state. It is quite a feat to really create a collection in oil to preserve Nebraska’s history that will outlast all of us. A book and a Nebraska Public Media documentary entitled Legacy of Nebraska showcase the collection.
Todd will join the Buffalo Commons Storytelling and Music Festival sharing hiscollection and talk about the inspiration behind his uniquely impressive work.
Zoe Lewis and the Souvenirs
Affectionately known as “a band in a body,” Zoe plays vintage jazz and world beat grooves on anything from the piano to the spoons. Originally from the UK, she’s called Provincetown her home for the past 28 years. While traveling to over 70 countries, she has picked up exciting musical grooves and stories along the way. She has released 10 albums of original material, toured with Judy Collins, the Indigo Girls, Richie Havens, Nanci Griffiths and has even opened for Pat Benetar on the ukelele.
The winner of numerous songwriting awards, Zoe’s songs have appeared on Broadway, in documentaries, movie soundtracks, and in commercials. She has nine CDs of original material and has written two musicals. Not only has Zoe played at numerous festivals, but she teaches musical workshops, performs on Olivia cruises, and takes her show to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, every winter.
These days she is as well-known for her storytelling as for her songs. Her performances are upbeat and fun, almost circus-like with spinning plates and balancing acts, yet her stories and her songs are touching and poignant. She is an extraordinary individual, talented artist, and crowd favorite.
Zoe will be joined by talented Roxanne Layton, recorder and percussion artist with Manheim Steamroller, and Kate Wolf, a bass guitarist with the Wolves. The three put on an electrifying performance sure to delight the audience, and we are delighted to welcome these artists back to McCook for this year’s festival.
Last Battle on the Plains Tour - June 13
Embark on a journey through history. Listen as experts chronicle the setting and events leading up to the last U. S. battle between the Sioux and the Pawnee. Matt Reed, Pawnee Tribal Historic Preservation Officer from Pawnee, OK, will provide information on the Pawnee Nation and guide us through the story of this historical day.
Upon boarding the bus, participants will travel to Massacre Canyon at Trenton for a first-hand look at the actual site and the monument commemorating the last Indian battle on the Plains. Matt Reed, along with Tom Baker, farmer, educator, historian, and former Nebraska legislator and Cathy Upton, educator and passionate Hitchcock County historian, will share the stories and artifacts of this epic event. The tour will continue to the ArtBank McCook to experience John Thein’s Wounded Knee collection. Participants will engage with the exhibit which focuses on the Wounded Knee massacre and the events that surrounded it. The collection is a result of the Thein’s hope for reflection and learning from circumstances of the horrific day.
Includes Lunch. Registration is required.
