If it seemed like Branson had more international visitors during the first full weekend of October, you would not be wrong.

International bluegrass superstars The Petersens held a special event in Branson from Oct. 6 through Oct. 9, welcoming their Patreon supporters for a “Patreon Reunion.” 

The event featured special VIP encounters with the group including a private coffee reception at Vintage Paris in Hollister, a reception and campfire jam session at Sycamore Creek Family Ranch, and a private concert inside College of the Ozarks’ Royal Oak Forum.

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Attendees came from all over the United States and as far away as England, Spain, Brazil, Denmark, and Switzerland.

Olaf Schmelter of Winterthur, Switzerland, told Branson Tri-Lakes News his love of the Petersens started from a YouTube video which appeared in the suggested videos list.

“It started like many of the people here at the gathering, from YouTube,” Schemelter said. “I started to like what I heard, I started to watch other videos, I decided to see them live on stage.”

Schmelter said finding the Petersens was a surprising quirk of fate for his family, as they previously had a connection to the Ozarks.

“Our son came to Harrison, Arkansas as an exchange student,” Schmelter said. “So this gave us an opportunity to visit the house family which was so great to my son while being able to see a show with the Petersens.”

He said he was surprised by Branson’s entertainment scene.

“We got to our hotel and went to the strip, and I didn’t realize there were so many shows here,” he said. “I thought it would be the Petersens and like two or three more, but there’s so many!”

Michael Ipsen from Malmo, Sweden said he also discovered the Petersens through a YouTube suggestion. He said a desire to see the band live is what motivated him to come to Branson.

“I wanted to meet them,” Ipsen said. “They’re so down to Earth. They don’t revel in their celebrity and they’re really approachable.”

He said he would be touring Top of the Rock and walking around to explore Branson before he flies back to Sweden on Tuesday.

The Petersens had provided open time in the schedule of the weekend celebration to allow visitors to explore the Ozarks, such as the Top of the Rock tour, but also trips to Silver Dollar City, Dogwood Canyon, and some guests went boating on Table Rock Lake.

The event ended with a picnic lunch at Dewey Short Visitor Center next to Table Rock Dam.

The family began holding the events in February 2021 and plan to continue with another festival in 2023.

“This was so much fun,” Matt Petersen told Branson Tri-Lakes News. “The fact people came from so many different countries is super cool. This is a new experience and I loved the entire weekend.”

He said the goal of the weekend was for supporters of the band to get to know each other in a low-pressure environment.

“As an online community, so much of a relationship lacks face-to-face interaction,” Petersen said. “This gives people a cool opportunity to have a face, some experiences, a memory with other people who comment [on our Patreon page] and they can become friends and encourage and pray for each other, or whatever God uses it for.”

He said he and his family continue to be humbled by the doors God opens for them.

“The fact God’s used us as an entryway for people to connect through our music always amazes me,” Petersen said. “I have a lot of friends who are more talented vocally, and in guitar, and are in cool bands which make me say ‘Wow, this guy’s so gifted’ but I’ve seen God consistently open doors and God’s chosen us to do stuff. We’re going on our 12th year at IMAX and God continues to open doors and use people who are willing. We give the credit back to Him because that’s where it belongs.”

He said it’s incredible how God blesses him and his family to be able to spend time together, love and cherish each other, and be an encouragement to other people.

The family’s patriarch, Lt. Col. (ret.) Jon Petersen, saidGod is the only reason he and his family are where they are today.

“I did not like Bluegrass music,” Petersen told Branson Tri-Lakes News. “When we were traveling around the country, we went to the Gettysburg (Pennsylvania) Bluegrass Festival. We saw families similar to ours who were around a tree working together. A family band can’t pick superstars; you have to work with your family. We watched them develop and encourage each other. The siblings didn’t fight, they cheered on each other, and the parents were involved. I saw it as a way we could have consistency as a military family, and that was the vision God gave me at this festival. I really learned to like bluegrass music, and now I love it, and God showed me we could do it.”

He said he and his wife are both joyful over what they’ve seen God do through their family.

“There’s a verse in the book of Philemon, verse 6, which says ‘I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ’,” he said. “If you’re giving your faith away, you see lives changed, you see the value of your faith is not a stagnant thing, it’s a dynamic thing, where it’s active and it’s real.

“The kids have seen so many people with no spiritual experience or religion come to an active faith and start following Christ and their whole lives change. We’ve had several examples here. And this is really the glue which kept the family together when the times were hard and the money wasn’t big, but the mission is big. The mission is huge. And we’re excited to see how God’s moved through us.”  

The group puts exclusive content on their Patreon page, www.patreon.com/thepetersens, including new songs, behind-the-scenes videos and stories with the family members, and information about future supporter gatherings.