09/07/2026
2026 has been a year of change, growth, and learning how to move forward in new ways.
And apparently, we decided to say YES to all of it. 😅✨
After learning in the fall of 2025 that Zenfest in GI was ended, we went through multiple rounds of discussions with our planning committee, conversations with vendors, and a whole lot of deliberating, budgeting, and number-wrangling...
We decided to take on Grand Island as our third yearly show. It was a big decision—but one that ended up solving several problems in ways we hadn't expected.
We had already been struggling to find a new venue for our Spring show in Kearney. The only weekend available at our previous location would have placed us alongside the craft show again, and after our experiences with parking, visibility, and competing crowds, we knew that arrangement was no longer the best fit for our vendors or patrons.
So we began looking elsewhere. And we found an opportunity.
It came with one very intimidating detail: The venue would cost nearly three times what we had paid for any of our previous shows. We had also tried filling a space that large before—with mixed results.
So yes… It was a risk. But it was one we were willing to take. Because by then, we had learned something important: Growth rarely happens without a little uncertainty.
In 2026, Megan, Donna, and John officially joined the crew, bringing their energy, brainpower, creativity, and incredible dedication to the Spring show.
And then...
YOU showed up. Nearly 70 vendors. More than 750 patrons through the doors. A building full of conversations, shopping bags, workshops, laughter, reunions, discoveries, and all of the wonderfully strange and magical things that happen when our community gathers together.
You showed us what this community was capable of, and you gave us every reason to keep striving to do better. For that, we will never be able to thank you enough. 💜
After the Spring 2026 show, we took a deep breath, and then we started asking ourselves an important question: Where do we go from here?
Our Summer show was shaping up to be just as ambitious. Our little team was growing. The events were growing. And we had reached the point where simply winging it was no longer enough.
If we wanted to continue building something sustainable… We needed structure, we needed systems, and we needed to start thinking about the future in a much bigger way.
After several rounds of discussion, it finally felt like a plan was beginning to take shape.
And then… Everything shifted.
In early June, we received an unexpected announcement. Angela shared that 2026 would be her final year leading SoulFest, and suddenly, we found ourselves standing at an even bigger crossroads.
What happens to something when the person who began it decides their chapter has come to an end?
Do you let the story end?
Or...
Do you turn the page?
👀✨
With less than three weeks until the final SoulFest show—and our own big announcement—we're getting very close to sharing what happens next.
Stay tuned...
