American Patchwork Quartet & Levitt Jam Camp Celebrate a World of Music
Levitt at the Falls in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, June 20th, 2026
Flags from around the world moved through the crowd as campers, families, volunteers and community members celebrated the multicultural theme guiding this year’s Levitt Jam Camp showcase. The colors gave the night its first rhythm. Before the kids sang, before the band settled into the pocket, the stage already felt connected to something larger than one city block in Sioux Falls.
A celebration in motion
Performers dressed in vibrant traditional clothing transformed the space into a celebration of Latin American culture. Bright dresses swirled through shades of pink, yellow, green, blue, and purple while dancers moved through routines that immediately captured the audience’s attention. Children near the front pointed toward the towering folklórico-style puppet and the colorful bull figure that moved through the performance area, drawing smiles from spectators of every age.
A parade of flags
The multicultural theme continued with a parade of flags representing countries from around the globe.
Participants carried banners from dozens of nations through the Levitt grounds as audience members watched from both sides of the walkway. The procession wound toward the stage, creating a striking display of colors and identities gathered in one place.
The flag ceremony served as a bridge between cultures and generations.
As the final flags reached the stage, attention shifted toward the young performers waiting for their moment.
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Food trucks and summer traditions
Food trucks lined the venue throughout the evening, helping transform the showcase into something that felt as much like a community gathering as a concert.
Families drifted between performances to grab dinner and desserts while discussing favorite songs from the week. Los Cocos Tacos & Catering drew a steady crowd with fresh Mexican fare, while Valentino’s served up pizza and pasta favorites that proved popular with families looking for a quick meal before the next performance. Nearby, The Corn Dog Company continued drawing attention with its hand-dipped specialties and festival-friendly menu.
As the evening continued, Street Sweets became one of the busiest stops on the grounds. Young musicians fresh off the stage celebrated a successful performance with ice cream while families lingered in conversation.
Finding their voices
The campers were divided into two age groups, ages 7-9 and ages 10-12, each taking the stage to present what they had learned during the week.
The younger group arrived with enthusiasm. Their bright green Jam Camp shirts stood out against the stage as they sang with full commitment and plenty of personality. Some watched instructors for cues while others seemed completely lost in the excitement of performing.
The older campers displayed a little more confidence and stage awareness. Their voices carried with greater strength, and they appeared comfortable standing before a large crowd.
Parents lined the audience with phones and cameras raised high. Grandparents smiled from lawn chairs. Friends cheered after every song.
And of course, we had our own reason for paying particularly close attention.
Our friend Evie was among the performers.
Watching children discover confidence through music remains one of the most rewarding things an audience can witness. As the showcase progressed, many of the campers seemed to settle into themselves, growing more comfortable with every song. Evie was no exception, embracing the moment alongside her fellow performers.
A lesson from a rabbit
The younger campers opened alongside American Patchwork Quartet, whose music pulls from folk traditions, immigrant stories and the many threads that shape American roots music.
The group’s final song with the students centered on a rabbit who survives not because he is the strongest creature in the jungle, but because he is clever. He thinks his way through danger. He outsmarts opponents bigger than himself. For a stage full of young musicians still learning how to use their voices, it was a sharp little story wrapped in melody.
The group’s lead male vocalist, a South Carolina native, guided the song with warmth and ease. He gave the children room to settle into the moment without making the stage feel too large for them. Around him, the quartet played with the polish of professionals who understood they were not there to overpower the campers. They were there to carry them.
Standing beside musicians like American Patchwork Quartet could intimidate performers of any age, but the kids held their own. Bright green Jam Camp shirts filled the stage. Voices rose. Smiles started appearing mid-song, the kind that arrive when a child realizes the scary part is already behind them.
Afterglow
The flags from the opening parade stayed in memory after the lawn chairs folded and the stage began to clear. They represented different countries and cultures, but the evening spoke in a language every family there understood.
Young musicians had gathered, learned, sung and taken one more step toward confidence. For campers like Evie, that step was worth celebrating.
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