Midsommarfest returns June 6-8, portion of proceeds to save the water tower

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