Wed. June 4, 2014
Chicago, IL -
Midsommarfest returns to Andersonville for its 49th year this weekend, bringing with it two days and three nights of music and shopping, food and drink to help kick off the Chicago summer neighborhood street festival season.
"We are expecting another fantastic year," Andersonville Chamber of Commerce associate director Jason Cox told ChicagoPride.com. "We have a really great line up and a lot of new acts, with five stages of music running all weekend long on Saturday and Sunday."
Last year's event drew an estimated 50,000 people to the six blocks of Clark Street between Foster and Catalpa that make up the heart of this far-north neighborhood, known for its Swedish heritage and current identity as a more relaxed gayborhood alternative to Boystown.
Returning this year is the Out Rock stage, located at Clark and Balmoral and sponsored by Hamburger Mary's, 5400 N. Clark.
"The Out Rock Stage has been one of the best additions to the festival, certainly in my 10 years with the Chamber," said Cox. "It creates a really nice, relaxed atmosphere and it gives an opportunity to a lot of singer-songwriters, especially from the LGBT community, who normally don't get a chance to play at a lot of street festivals. We get great feedback from attendees and the musicians."
The annual festival not only showcases local artists and performing groups, it is also a fundraiser for local schools and organizations. This year, the Chamber will try to raise $15,000 to support an effort to restore the neighborhood's beloved water tower, which was removed this March after suffering damage over the winter.
"A portion of the donations that people give at the entrance gates will go to the Swedish American Museum's Water Tower Fund," Cox said. "Our goal is to restore or replace it."
The 49th annual Midsommarfest street festival begins on Friday June 6, when a smaller section of the festival between Balmoral and Catalpa avenues will be open from 5-10 p.m. The festival will re-open in full from Foster to Catalpa on Saturday June 7 and Sunday June 8 from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. There is a $10 suggested donation, $5 on June 6.
On the web: andersonville.org
This year's Line-up:
FRIDAY, JUNE 6
NORTH STAGE – CLARK & CATALPA
5:00 PM DJ Dan Luna
7:00 PM 16 Candles
SATURDAY, JUNE 7
NORTH STAGE – CLARK & CATALPA
11:00am Andrew Diehl & The Nightmen
12:30pm Outertown
2:00pm King of Soul
3:00pm Chicago Spirit Brigade
3:30pm She's Crafty
5:00pm Little Queens
7:00pm Cat Fight
CENTER STAGE – CLARK & BERWYN
Sponsorsed by Bridgeview Bank & Urban Pooch
11:00am Xoe Wise
12:30pm Jared Bartman
1:30pm Chicago Spirit Brigade
2:00pm Run and Punch
3:30pm Steakhouse Mints
5:00pm Angel Melendez Orchestra
7:00pm ABBA Salute
SOUTH STAGE – CLARK & FOSTER
Sponsored by Simon's Tavern
2:00 PM The Cheetles
4:00 PM Hairbangers Ball
6:00 PM 7th Heaven
8:00 PM Get Up With The Get Downs
SWEDISH STAGE – CLARK & FOSTER
Sponsored by the Swedish American Museum
11:30 AM Opening Ceremony
11:45 AM Traditional Maypole Dance
12:15 PM Chicago Spelmanslag
12:40 PM Nordic Folkdancers
1:05 PM Chicago Swedish Men's Chorus
1;25 PM Merdula Swedish Choir
OUT ROCK STAGE – CLARK & BALMORAL
Sponsored by Hamburger Mary's
11am The Lost Cartographers
12pm Mike Grimes and Scott Free
1pm Dean of Women
3pm Stephen Leonard
430pm Ripley Caine & The Full Moon
6pm Mister E Machine
7pm Fatally Cool
SUMMERDALE STAGE – CLARK & SUMMERDALE
Sponsorsed by Bow Wow Lounge & Lake Shore Schools
11:30 AM Joel Hall Dancers Youth Company
12:00 PM Bow Wow Lounge Pet Parade
1:00 PM Language Stars
2:00 PM Smarty Pants Yoga
2:45 AM Dream Big Performing Arts
3:30 PM Design Dance
4:15 PM Laura Doherty & The Heartbeats
5:30 PM The Revelettes
6:00 PM The Luna Blues Machine
8:00 PM Furious Frank
SUNDAY, JUNE 8
NORTH STAGE – CLARK & CATALPA
9:30am Hatha Yoga with Bikram Hot Yoga Midwest – Chicago
11:00am Old Grand Dad
12:30pm Al Rose
1:30pm Windy City Cowboys
2:00pm The IZReelSoul Band
3:00pm Chicago Spirit Brigade
3:30pm Sidewalk Chalk
5:00pm The Diplomats of Solid Sound
7:00pm 16 Candles
CENTER STAGE – CLARK & BERWYN
Sponsorsed by Bridgeview Bank & Urban Pooch
11:00 Deliverance Singers
1:00pm Chicago Spirit Brigade
1:30pm Milo & Otis
2:30 pm ROTC
3:00pm The Opposition Party
4:30pm Windy City Cowboys
5:00pm Yacht Rockets
7:00pm Maggie Speaks
SOUTH STAGE – CLARK & FOSTER
Sponsored by Simon's Tavern
2:00 PM New Invaders
4:00 PM Weepin' Willows
6:00 PM Planet Claire
8:00 PM Mama Dig Downs Brass Band
SWEDISH STAGE – CLARK & FOSTER
Sponsored by the Swedish American Museum
12:00 pm Nordland Band
OUT ROCK STAGE – CLARK & BALMORAL
Sponsored by Hamburger Mary's
11am Andrew Sa and Dylan Wright
12pm Ariel Upton
1pm Color Me Once
2:30pm Jeff Brown & the New Black
4pm Monica Del Castillo
5:30pm KAVUS
7pm Sami Grisafe
SUMMERDALE STAGE – CLARK & SUMMERDALE
Sponsorsed by Bow Wow Lounge & Lake Shore Schools
11:00 AM Trowbridge Guitar Studio
12:00 PM Andersonville Suzuki
1:00 PM Ben Tatar & the Tatar Tots
2:45 AM Dream Big Performing Arts
3:30 PM Little Linguists
4:00 PM Mad Science
5:30 PM Lucy Smith's Autumn in Augusta
8:00 PM Funkadesi
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