Georgia Riley Pellkofer was 25 years old when she died from an epileptic seizure in 2022, and this month her family is throwing a festival in downtown Petaluma to make sure her joyful spirit — and the cause she cared about — keeps growing. G Fest returns to the Foundry Wharf Lawn for its second year on September 19, with live music, food, an auction and speakers all built around epilepsy awareness.
Organizers set a fundraising goal of $60,000 for the Georgia Riley Pellkofer Foundation Endowment this year. Proceeds support several epilepsy-related causes, including Camp Coelho. The Press Democrat reports that a significant portion goes to the Epilepsy Foundation of Northern California. The event runs from noon to 6 p.m. at 625 Second Street, with general admission tickets at $100 and student tickets at $50 — both including food and drinks, while children 12 and under get in free. As The Press Democrat reports, organizers expanded this year’s program and expect a larger crowd throughout the afternoon.
Georgia lived with epilepsy for most of her life and had experienced several grand mal seizures in the months before her death, per the same account. Her mother, Trinity Pellkofer, says the festival celebrates her daughter’s joyful spirit and helps the family heal, while her father, Frank Pellkofer, has said G Fest was built around Georgia’s love of music, dancing, food and people. Georgia founded Santa Rosa Junior College’s Girls Who Code chapter, which her father says was the first at the community college level in California, and she loved bringing people together — qualities the festival was designed to reflect.
From Family Recipe to Regional Cause
The Pellkofer family established the Georgia Riley Pellkofer Foundation, and G Fest grew directly out of the foundation’s advocacy and outreach efforts. Between 2023 and 2026, the foundation contributed $14,500 to the Epilepsy Foundation of Northern California to directly support youth camp scholarships and local epilepsy outreach, according to blikeg.org, where tickets and information for this year’s festival are also available…