The Winnetka Music Festival on Friday and Saturday marked an initiation into summer, with soaring temperatures into the 90s and an estimated 16,000 in attendance for the two-day boutique festival in the downtown Elm Street District.
The festival showcased 28 touring bands, three main stages, a family main stage, acoustic chapel stage, 15 street buskers, craft beer, food trucks and local fare.
In its second year, the festival, co-created by the village of Winnetka, Winnetka Park District and the Chamber of Commerce, with special support of the Winnetka Community House, offered an expanded lineup of musical performances and a wider variety of musical genres, organizers say – from country to opera to rock to gospel to jazz.
Val Haller, CEO and founder of Valslist Music, co-produced and curated talent for the festival and said “it was really about bringing in top-of-the-line emerging artists and matching these acts with our family-friendly audience.”
“We wanted to create sort of a mini Lollapalooza, with all the neighborhood comfort of the North Shore,” Haller said.
Scott Myers, the festival’s executive director, said this year they increased the number of artists by 50 percent, added another main stage and brought in four times as many food trucks as last year.
“What hasn’t changed is our focus on highlighting top emerging artists from around the U.S. as well as Canada and Australia – we want to be a festival that people come to to find their next favorite artist,” Myers said.
More Top Picks Best Amazon Prime Big Deal Days Gift Deals For Men 2026 Sale
This year’s festival headliner was Oregon-based ZZ Ward, whose style organizers describe as a fresh contemporary twist on traditional blues. Other indie favorites, A Thousand Horses, Billy String, Cobi and Andrew Belle were among those highlighted over the two-day event. The festival also featured group and solo performances by those with roots in the North Shore, like The North 41 (Highland Park), Crew (Glencoe) and Carly Meyer (Northbrook).
Matt Miller of Glencoe attended the festival this year and said he is active in the music scene and was surprised to find a number of bands that he had never heard of before.
“It’s fun to see these emerging bands have the chance to play to big crowds and it’s also important for us to have an opportunity to showcase and celebrate our wonderful towns on the North Shore,” Miller said.
Myers said that last year he learned that people are thirsty for events like this one, a high-quality festival experience that is accessible in the suburbs.
Peggy Wagner of Wilmette said the festival is important because of the way it brings people out into the community and introduces the North Shore to such a variety of music.
