FEST ALERT: Wicker Park Fest Returning July 22-24 for the 18th Season

Here at ChiIL Mama and ChiIL Live Shows, we've been going to Wicker Park Fest, Chicago’s biggest street festival, since it's inception. With 3 stages, over 40 acclaimed live bands, an arts area, family fun, food and drinks, there's something for everyone. This is one of the best of the Chicago fests, so get on down to Milwaukee Avenue from North Avenue to Paulina Street July 22-24 for Wicker Park Fest's 18th season.

Photos: Local H, NNAMDÏ, Cherry Glazerr, Caroline Rose, The Happy Fits. Courtesy of the artists.

Headlining bands include Chicago’s established rock band Local H, Chicago-based multi-instrumentalist NNAMDÏ, as well as eight national acts such as Cherry Glazerr, Caroline Rose, The Happy Fits, MICHELLE, Y La Bamba, The Spits, Armand Hammer, and Tom the Mail Man. Other highlights from the music lineup include Laura Stevenson, Arin Ray and Cheekface. The free festival with $10 suggested donation benefits the nonprofit Wicker Park Bucktown Chamber of Commerce. The presenting sponsor for Wicker Park Fest 2022 is Goose Island Beer Company.

The complete lineup and schedule are as follows:

FRIDAY, JULY 22, 5-10 P.M.

NORTH STAGE

08:30 - 10:00 Local H

07:00 - 08:00 The Spits

06:00 - 06:30 Bev Rage & The Drinks

 

CENTER STAGE

09:00 - 10:00 Y La Bamba

07:45 - 08:30 ÉSSO! Afrojam Funkbeat

06:30 - 07:15 Cheekface

05:15 - 06:00 Dwaal Troupe

 

SOUTH STAGE

09:00 - 10:00 Reggae Gold

07:30 - 09:00 Tukkiman

07:00 - 07:30 DJ Illest

06:00 - 07:00 Ifficial Reggae Movement

05:00 - 06:00 Lady Sol & Friends

 

SATURDAY, JULY 23, 12-10 P.M.

NORTH STAGE

08:45 - 10:00 The Happy Fits

07:30 - 08:15 Laura Stevenson

06:15 - 07:00 Quasi

05:00 - 05:45 Marina City

03:45 - 04:30 Caracara

02:00 - 02:45 Phoneboy

01:00 - 01:30 Lightleak

12:00 - 12:30 Young Ritual

 

CENTER STAGE

09:00 - 10:00 Armand Hammer

07:45 - 08:30 Arin Ray

06:30 - 07:15 Gramps The Vamp

05:30 - 06:00 Tom the Mail Man

04:30 - 05:00 Matt Muse

 

SOUTH STAGE

08:45 - 10:00 Future Rootz feat. Daniel Crane

08:00 - 08:45 Mo Mami

07:00 - 07:45 La Reina Cumbia

06:00 - 06:45 Lester Rey

05:00 - 05:45 Bumbac Joe & his Mamakinas

03:00 - 05:00 The Gr8Cypher w/ TheGr8Thinkaz

12:00 - 02:00 School Of Rock Chicago West

 

SUNDAY, JULY 24, 12-10 P.M.

 

NORTH STAGE

08:30 - 10:00 Cherry Glazerr

07:00 - 08:00 Caroline Rose

05:45 - 06:30 MICHELLE

04:30 - 05:15 Dante Elephante

03:15 - 04:00 TheGr8Thinkaz

02:15 - 02:45 Emmett Mulrooney

12:00 - 01:45 School Of Rock Chicago

 

CENTER STAGE

09:00 - 10:00 NNAMDÏ

07:45 - 08:30 Oux

06:30 - 07:15 Mo Lowda & The Humble

05:30 - 06:00 The Brevet

04:30 - 05:00 Stay Outside

 

SOUTH STAGE

07:00 - 10:00 The Hustle

05:00 - 07:00 Duane Powell

03:00 - 05:00 Tommaso Conforti

 

Other entertainment and special offers at the festival include:

 

Arts Area

The Arts Area is presented by Wicker Park Bucktown Special Service Area #33 with provoking sculpture installations and interactive art, showcasing unique works from local artists. This year, 3 artworks will be shown: Rainbow Pyramid by John Bannon and Ed Wesly, A Quivering Life (Snared) by Samuel Schwindt, and Studio W.I.P. by Native 312. For more information on the Arts Area and the artists, visit https://www.wickerparkbucktown.com/wpfest/arts-area/.

 

Pin Perks

A $10 donation at the gate benefits the nonprofit Wicker Park Bucktown Chamber of Commerce, and comes with festival pin perks of receiving more than 20 discounts from festival vendors and businesses in the area. Participating businesses and deals include but are not limited to: Steely Boutique (30% off one item), Transit Tees (free pin or button with any in-store purchase), Kadampa Meditation (50% off one regular drop-in class), Spynergy (3 classes for $60), Liquor Park (10% off entire purchase), One Strange Bird (15% off entire purchase), Burton (20% off full price items), Eco Conscious Technologies (20% off online purchases of Air/Surface Pro/Pro+), Earth Rider Cycling (free pair of bike sock with any purchase), Barry's (free first class), and Ouro Hermetica (free OuroHermetica tea light candle). For more information on the pin perks, visit https://www.wickerparkbucktown.com/wpfest/wpb-pin-perks/.

 

Food and Drinks

Food vendors at the festival include:

5411 Empanadas: empanadas (truck)  

Beat Kitchen on the Riverwalk: tacos, empanadas, pizza, fries, tater tots

Blackhawk BBQ & Seafood: BBQ, carnival & seafood

Donerman: German food (truck)

Genoa Italian Concession: Italian food

Harold’s Chicken: Chicken                     

Indian Garden Restaurant: Indian food

Island Noodles Chicago: Hawaiian food

Lee Concessions: carnival & Asian food

Seoul Taco: Korean tacos

Suzies Fun Foods: carnival food

Zucci Events & Dining: Mediterranean food

 

Kids Fest and Family Activities

The Kids Fest, hosted by Burr Elementary and taking place at Wolcott and Milwaukee Avenues, will offer an exclusive area of family programming, including early childhood learning, kids’ mini  tennis, science learnings, balloon animals, cookie decorating, kids cooking lessons, and more!

Play Locally: Art In The Park, Marbles Clue Hunt, Ladies Rock Camp Showcase at Schubas, Wicker Park Fest, Babes With Blades, and BONEdanse

Van Ghost from the photo pit at HOB 6/11/11

Check 'em out at Wicker Park Fest at 6:15 this Sunday

We've had several hundred new subscribers join us recently.    Woo hoo!    So here's a quicky little recap of what we're all about, here at ChiIL Mama.    We're not a giant list serve or comprehensive guide to 300 things going on each weekend.    

What we do is pick a hand full of fun stuff that we would actually go to (and often do).    We tend toward Chicago urban events and heavily cover theatre and music for families and for just adults as well.   We also feature the arts, multicultural events, eco-friendly activities, and quirky fun.    Not to say you won't ever see a burb event or location, and we do travel quite a bit, but Chi, IL is our first love.    We do run loads of monthly give aways for Chicago  events tickets and for CDs/DVDs nationwide.   We tend toward kindie (kids' indie, alternative, and punk) and music based & independent DVDs for the big kids, AKA:   adults.    

We will be providing press coverage at Kidzapalooza/Lollapalooza and North Coast Music Fest again this year, and offer up our street fest favs all summer, so check back in like we vote in Chicago.....early and often.

Saturday:

We went to the first Art in The Park last year and it was rockin' awesome!    It was a beautiful melding of the arts community and the people of Avondale/Logan Square.    Free and open to all ages.    Check out our photo filled feature HERE.

ART IN THE PARK  at  Unity Park
(2700 N Kimball at Schubert)
Saturday July 23  10 am - 2 pm

"Experience live painting in Logan Square's Unity Park. All our neighbors are invited! The Unity Park Advisory Council volunteers will have everything you need for an afternoon of painting fun including FREE paper, boards and canvases, paints and paint brushes, music and snacks and drinks. Please feel free to bring a sack lunch. You can take your works of art home with you or donate them the Unity Park and let them be shown and possibly sold during the Milwaukee Ave Arts Festival. Please visit www.unityparkchicago.org for more information, to volunteer or to become a member."

The park's water spray pool is running to keep young kids cool.Check out UNITY PARK website for events, volunteering, and updates!    http://www.unityparkchicago.org/project-updates

Join Marbles: The Brain Store For Its First-Ever Chicago Puzzle Hunt!

WHAT: Marbles: The Brain Store invites Chicago friends & families to challenge their wits – and fellow citizens – during a fun puzzle hunt across downtown Chicago!

WHEN:  Saturday, July 23 at 10:00 a.m.

WHERE:  Meet at Marbles: The Brain Store, Lincoln Square, 4745 N. Lincoln Avenue, Chicago, 312-494-7769

FEE:  $25 per team – HOWEVER, if you are able to solve the puzzle on the brochure (linked here), the $25 entry fee is waived:

http://www.marblesthebrainstore.com/blog/2011/07/07/attention-puzzle-hunters/

WHAT ELSE: You can recruit your own team of up to five members - or meet up at Lincoln Square to join other puzzle-hunters.

Check out Marbles Blog Link for more details.    Space is limited!

Saturday July 23, 6-10pm

Babes With Blades put the fun back in fundraiser with a swing dance themed benefit tonight!

Swing for Swash  ...a swing dancing fundraiser for Babes With Blades Theatre Company and THE DOUBLE  WHAT?  Dancing galore, food, beer, wine, prizes, swashbuckling entertainment, and much, much, more! Arrive by 6:30 for a free dance lesson from Jeff Sterner of the Chicago Swing Dance Society ! Take a break from dancing at 8:15 with "Swing into Violence," a stage combat-meets-swing mini-class led by John McFarland!

WHERE?

The Charnel House (3421 W. Fullerton, Chicago) - minutes from the Logan Square blue line stop

  

HOW MUCH?

$25 for 1 or $40 for 2.  Buy tix online NOW!  (You can also pay at the door - cash or check only please)

Sunday:

Admit it: When you first heard about Girls Rock! Chicago, you thought, "Why didn't that exist when I was a kid?" That's why we created Ladies Rock Camp. 

This weekend grown-up aspiring rockers will take a crash course in music making—they'll learn an instrument, form a band, write a song, and perform it onstage. And what our Girls Rock campers do in seven days, Ladies Rockers will cram into just three. 

Join us on Sunday to cheer on the graduates of 2011 Ladies Rock Camp as they hit the stage at Schubas with their new bands. 

Schubas Tavern (http://www.schubas.com/)

3159 N. Southport

Doors 5pm / Show 6pm 

$6 / kids 8 and under FREE

Advance tickets:

http://schubas.com/Shows/0 7-24-2011+Ladies+Rock+Show case

All Weekend:
Check out ChiIL Mama's Wicker Park Fest recommendations HERE along with lots of great photo pit shots of Van Ghost with Allie Krawl from Cornmeal, playing House of Blues 6/11/11. 

http://www.wickerparkfestchicago.com/


Save the Date:

Check out Milwaukee Arts Festival's Web Site for all the great details.    This is one art, music, film, food and fun filled fest.   Highly recommended.    Here's their eclectic band line up, arranged by the fine folk at Elastic Arts.

If you catch nothing else, we highly recommend Sunday's line up.   Black Bear Combo and Sidewalk Chalk are some of our favorites!

Sunday, July 31st

• 8:00pm - The Hood Internet
• 6:30pm - Sidewalk Chalk
• 5:00pm - Papo Santiago
• 3:30pm - Beaba Do Samba
• 2:00pm - Black Bear Combo

Check out Sidewalk Chalk's site for a free download and cool contest.   

The band shares some members with Great Divide who rocked HOB on 6/11/11 with Van Ghost, How Far To Austin and a host of great bands.   You can see ChiIL Mama's photo pit coverage, band interviews, and more at ChiIL Live Shows http://chiilliveshows.com/ and on our Vimeo and YouTube ChiIL Mama Channels.

Here's ChiIL Mama's photo filled coverage from Milwaukee Arts Fest last year.   Check it out HERE.


Want your kids to grow up with smart, mighty female role models in the arts community?   Check out Babes With Blades and BONEdanse. No toddlers in tiaras here.

BreakBONE is now BONEdanse!    These guys are some of our absolute favorites in the Chicago dance community.   Their productions are intelligent, creative and powerful.   Follow BONEdanse on Facebook and check out their web site for upcoming performances and classes.

 Babes With Blades has a new show opening August 13th.   


ON STAGE:

THE DOUBLE by Barbara Lhota
August 13-September 24, 2011

Tickets on sale now: CLICK!
For more information: CLICK!

Wicker Park Fest Saturday & Sunday July 23 & 24th

Van Ghost at House of Blues 6-11-11

Wicker Park Fest gets more impressive each year.  Saturday July 23rd, we're looking forward to Purple Apple , School of Rock and Loyal Divide.








We have a video interview with the talented kids in Purple Apple, concert footage from their Schubas show, and stills coming soon.  The whole month of July is all about the kids.


Check out our Van Ghost shots from House of Blues a few weeks back.   They're a must see at Wicker Park Fest at 6:15 on Sunday July 24th.   They played HOB with our friends in How Far to Austin, Ben Ripani, Great Divide and Katie Todd.   Check out all of their websites for summer appearances.  

Wicker Park Fest also features 

loads of kids' fun like the Psychobaby Tent Featuring Rock and Roll faux hawks and hair streaks.

a Petting Zoo Noon til 4:00 pm sponsored by Children's Learning Place & MyMomMemories.com

Face Painting by Chicago Avenue Salon
Cookie Decorating sponsored by Square One Organics
Bounce House sponsored by CLEOS & Psychobaby
Arts & Crafts Station sponsored by Easel Arts Studio
 Nature Tent by Grand Street Gardens
Dunk Tank sponsored by 1st Ward, with special guest 1st Ward Alderman Moreno!

Tot Spot - sponsored by The Children's Learning Place