Dave Engstrom grew up in Wahpeton, ND playing guitar and loving music. After high school, he pursued a degree in medicine and enjoyed a successful career in the medical field. Dave moved back to Wahpeton after retirement and spent much of his time playing music. He loved listening to and playing with local musicians. Dave also loved supporting others in their musical journeys and connecting new musicians with the musical community in the Wahpeton/Breckenridge area.  He embodied the belief of human connectedness and always found a way to bring people together around shared goals.

One of these goals was to create a local music festival. In 2020, with the help of many friends and family members, this goal became a reality and was named Headwaters Music Festival. Headwaters Music Festival was built based on the following hopes and dreams:

- Provide a way to support local musicians and enable the public to enjoy free entertainment at home, in their local communities.
- Bring people to Wahpeton/Breckenridge for a 3-4 day music event featuring local and area amateur and professional musicians, who are not often hired to play “at home.”
- Use multiple venues in the Twin Towns in support of tourism and local businesses during the Festival.
- Ensure a family friendly atmosphere for all with support from businesses and vendors providing food and beverages.
- Promote opportunities for young inexperienced musicians to learn and perform with experienced musicians to entertain the public.