A Scorcher: Music festival turns up the heat in downtown Winnetka

Thousands gathered amid 90-degree temperatures to enjoy The Revivalists, Cold War Kids and 27 other artists on stage at the Winnetka Music Festival this weekend.

As the heat surged, the eclectic mix of music got North Shore residents’ feet on the streets as they danced to indie rock, bluegrass, funk and more during the eighth festival.

“Our goal in the music festival is to have a quality boutique music festival that highlights not only the music but also the quality of the community,” said Scott Myers, Winnetka Music Festival co-founder.

Approximately 6,300 people poured onto Lincoln Avenue on Friday, June 20, while 6,000 or so showed out on Saturday, June 21, according to Myers.

The Revivalists, a rock band known for their hit song “Wish I Knew You,” headlined Friday’s sold-out lineup, with eight artists across two stages.

Saturday’s performances began at 11:30 a.m. with the Bed Heads, a Glencoe band, on the Family Free stage. Throughout the day, familiar faces and up-and-coming artists — including Pete Yorn, Augustana and Grace Enger — performed across four stages.

Cold War Kids, a popular indie rock band from Long Beach, California, closed out the festival on Saturday, playing until 10:30 p.m.

Glencoe resident Jason LaBelle attended on Saturday specifically to see Eggy, a jam band with “a little bit of a ’70s feel.”

LaBelle found plenty more to like about the festivities.

“The music’s good; the layout is really nice,” he said. “It’s just so convenient. It’s such a treat to have it all right there in the backyard.”

Val Haller, the festival’s other co-founder who oversees much of the booking, said she handpicks artists for a Winnetka audience, many of whom are young families. She considers which artists she thinks the audience should know, wanting to impress even the biggest live music fan with a new find.

“I want to bring a taste of everything,” Haller said. “To me, that’s what a festival is.”

This year, the festival introduced “Just Listen Sessions,” during which attendees gathered Friday evening at the Winnetka Chapel Stage to listen to two discussion panels.

The sessions were in collaboration with The Book Stall, a local independent bookstore. The first session was a roundtable discussion with three music journalists (Selena Fragassi, Annie Zaleski and Paul Natkin) while the second featured four artists (Kendall Robbins, Tony Kamel and two members of Hotel Fiction) giving behind-the-scenes insight on their careers, Haller said.

“I would love to do this every single year and bring in fun conversations about things that are related to music but you might not know as much about,” Haller said. “So that was a real thrill for me this year to launch that.”

Myers said the heat posed a particular challenge this year, but the volunteer staff and Winnetka Fire Department planned ahead to ensure that plenty of water and misting stations were available.

Volunteers stepped up in other capacities as well, whether providing directions to guests and managing relationships with the festival’s neighbors. Volunteers also helped connect artists with residents who were open to hosting the musicians.

Myers said the community participation is part of what makes the festival so special.

“It’s just a lot of different ways that I think the community engages in the festival, and that we’re able to take advantage of that and show the musicians not just a great crowd, but give them a real nice taste of Winnetka,” Myers said.

Myers and Haller are already looking ahead to next year’s music fest, which will mark 10 years since the event’s inception in 2017. They hope to plan a special celebration for the milestone.

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