Local folk trio Family Three had no intention of performing at the 2015 Minnesota State Fair. According to member Taylor Bongard, a friend secretly signed the group up for an audition, which they successfully passed. They went on to play—and take first place—on Sunday, September 6, at the State Fair Grandstand finals in front of a crowd of 7,000 people. “It was hands-down one of the coolest things we have ever been able to be a part of,” Bongard says.
The trio, which includes Bongard and two other members, Tony Lehr and Tawny Steinmeyer, has been playing together since 2012. Bongard and Lehr have been playing together since their days at Hopkins High School and Steinmeyer joined several years ago when they sought a female vocalist for a summer Bible camp retreat. Their shows provide listeners with a variety of covers, original songs and, as Bongard put it, “just plain storytelling.”
