Villapalooza music fest is back in the Little Village neighborhood, on the southwest side of Chicago, for the 6th consecutive year, now with two days of music, arts, culture and community.
Founded in 2011 by La Villita natives, Villapalooza draws both local and international musicians. Along 26th Street and Central Park Avenue, the festival will run from noon to 10 on Saturday and noon to nine on Sunday “promoting non-violent spaces for arts, culture and community engagement.”
Lopez said the festival doesn’t have any corporate sponsors and is instead largely funded by the community. With the help of ‘padrinos’, profits from t-shirt sales and community donations, the event is free to the public.
Quintino Rios, who attended Villapalooza last year, said that it was “amazing, [because] you could feel community instead of just big sponsors.”
Lopez continued that they often get equipment for the festival by borrowing from family and neighbors.
Villapalooza this year features artists like Fidel Nadal, Combo Chimbita, AJ Davila and The Chamanas who come from “across the Americas.” It also provides the community the opportunity to ‘get to know your neighbor’ said board member Hector “Teto” Lopez.
The festival is meant to bring people together to start having conversations about their community he added, “The more people you know the safer you will feel.”
Villapalooza will host over 40 performances across four stages including a large “soap box,” as Lopez describes it, that will serve as an open mic for anyone who wants to perform.
Over 50 youth interns helped put together the two day festival. It is estimated that 35,000 people will attend. A significant difference from its 500 the first year of the Festival, Lopez said.
“We really wanted to engage the youth and give them an opportunity to take ownership of their community,” shared Lopez.