GENEVA — The organizing entities behind Drumstock Music & Arts Festival plan to nurture artistic development in Geneva on a regular basis.

Festival co-founders Victor Pultinas, Jenna LaVita and John Manion decided they could best secure the future of Drumstock as a recurring event by forming a nonprofit — the Geneva Rising Arts Foundation (GRAF).

GRAF aims to nurture and grow the cultural legacy of flourishing artistic and musical expression in and around Geneva. While GRAF aims to keep the tradition of Drumstock alive, it also hopes to create scholarships for creatives and to promote more music and arts events that are accessible and free to the public.

Over 1,000 people attended Drumstock Music & Arts Festival in 2024. Hosted by Lake Drum Brewery and a series of co-partners, the event features live music performances, local art exhibits, food, drinks, and dancing that lasts all day and into the evening.

As GRAF points out, Geneva has an intriguing history as a musical and artistic hub. Some highlights of that history include musical luminaries such as Tony Bennett, Dizzie Gillespie, and Ella Fitzgerald, who graced the stage of Club 86. Upright bassist Scott LaFaro grew up in Geneva, studied music at Ithaca College, and played with Ornette Coleman, Bill Evans, Cal Tjader and other jazz greats. Bill Evans said he was one of the best bass players of his generation. Wilmer and the Dukes, a 1960s R&B band out of Geneva, would later influence the founder of Blue Oyster Cult, Eric Bloom, who studied at Hobart College. Gym Class Heroes, a rap and rock band, rose out of Geneva to become a charting, global success.

GRAF “invites the community to help write the next chapter of this legacy.”

To become a sponsor, donate, or volunteer for Drumstock 2025, visit www.genevarisingarts.com or contacts the team at [email protected]