A decade after its opening act, Winnetka Music Festival keeps rocking on

Colorful LED lights lit up the downtown Winnetka sky last Friday night as Louisiana jazz-funk group Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue took Winnetka Music Festival’s main stage. Brass instruments loudly rang through the crowd, and a few raindrops couldn’t stop festival-goers from dancing and clapping to the beat of the music.

More than 5,500 guests were in attendance each night for the boutique-style music festival as it celebrated its 10-year anniversary on June 19-20. Musicians, local businesses and community members came together for a weekend of food and entertainment.

Grace Potter, Father John Misty, Jonah Kagen, Gatlin and Petey USA were just some of the big-name acts on this year’s setlist. 

Winnetka Music Festival co-founder and Winnetka native Val Haller hand picks the festival’s lineup each year.

Her goal? To create a festival that feels comfortable to anyone in attendance, regardless of their music taste or background.

“Boutique (festival) just means a consumable, digestible amount for any audience, but still … maintaining the cool factor, because we really do want this to feel like a downtown (Chicago) quality festival,” Haller said. “We want it to feel like the big guys, but just a more petite version of that.”

Haller recruits recognizable artists she said are “on the cusp of hitting big.” For the past three years, she’s been hosting “Just Listen” sessions where she has conversations with performers about music, artistry and the industry. One of her first sessions this year was with rock singer Grace Potter.

Julia Walker, of Batavia, and her friend Jessica Hoss have been listening to Potter for years. The two have seen the artist perform at multiple music festivals. Walker and Hoss were able to meet Potter at her “Just Listen” session. Walker said that’s the beauty of a boutique music fest.

“Usually (boutique festivals) are a more intimate experience,” Walker said.

Walking through the festival between the stages, multiple local businesses and restaurants line the streets with tables. Bad Johnny’s, Culinary Gangster, Little Honeycomb and more had tables and food trucks to serve those in attendance.

Hometown Coffee & Juice is located at the heart of Winnetka’s downtown. Although the festival closes down the street where the coffee shop resides, it ends up getting more business opportunities through the event.

“(The festival) creates visibility and it also gives us an opportunity to expand what we can do a little bit,” Hometown manager Julia Fisher said.

The cafe sets up a patio for customers to enjoy lemonade refreshers and giant pretzels while taking in the live music. 

“We want people to gather, sit here, stay for a while in between sets, so it’s a fun opportunity for people to experience our concept in a more evening time version,” Hometown executive director Emily Rubin said.

With 30 different sets, Haller aimed to find artists of every genre to make the music accessible. While Andrea Glass, a North Shore resident, said she didn’t know much about some of the musicians, she was just glad to spend time with friends.

“Music is a bridge for all, and everyone can hear it differently but enjoy it together,” Glass said.

As the festival celebrates 10 years in Winnetka, Haller has no intention of expanding — she hopes to keep the intimate, local nature of the event the same.

“I hope that people can count on every year they come, and they (think) it’s just as good as last year, it’s just as comfortable as last year. The music was a wow factor, like last year,” Haller said. “ … We don’t want to make it too big, because then it will feel like everything else. It’ll start to feel probably more commercial, just busier, louder, more crowded.”

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