Vets for Music

Vets for Music has been providing live music to Veterans in Community Living at the Mpls VA Medical Center for over 10 years. We also provide music to the VA rest homes throughout the State of MN. Our annual festival - VetsFest attracts nearly 2,000 people a year. Huey helicopter landing and Vintage Airplane flyover are provided by the MN Vietnam Veterans Charity. Please help us to continue to those Veterans and have sacrificed their time and effort to keep us safe. 

 The Pat McLaughlin Band has been playing for Veterans in Community Living for over a decade. Pat is a disabled Vet, and has an instant bond with Veterans at any given VA facility. In 2013, Pat and his band finished playing for some Veterans in Community Living at the Minneapolis VA M3dical Center. A nurse approached him and pointed out a young man, who was in a wheel chair, and was wearing a helmet. She stated the young Veteran had a Traumatic Brain Injury, and had not responded much to any outside stimuli over the past 2 months. She stated that while Pat and his band were playing, he actually spoke in a complete sentence, and laughed a few times. After receiving several reports of this type, Pat decided he would like to try and get the word out about the great effect live music has on TBI's and overall well being of Veterans who are living in long term Medical Facilities. 

In order to get the word out to as many Veterans and Veterans' families as possible, Pat eventually decided to hold an annual music festival called VetsFest. VetsFest is a one day, free music festival to honor our nation's Veterans, and give support to the special challenges Veterans face when reengaging with their families, friends, and society in general. 

Many other non profit organizations have partnered to make VetsFest an annual event to remember. The MN Vietnam Veterans Charity provides a Huey Helicopter Land, and a Vintage war plane flyover. The MN Commemorative Air Force provide the cockpit of an F4 for festival goers to have their picture taken in. The last large festival was in 2019, with approx 1800 people attending. Due to Covid restrictions, several mini VetsFests have taken place over the past two summers, with attendance limited to 250 or less as per Covid restrictions. The plans for VetsFest 2022 are already underway, and are scheduled to take place again at Richard Walton Park in Oakdale, MN. The event will take place in July, with the actual date to be determined at a later time this year.