Marist Set For Thousands Of Music Lovers Saturday At Southside Summer Festival

CHICAGO — Marist High School is set for thousands of music fans to pack the football stadium Saturday, July 19, for Southside Summer Festival. The popular music fest returns for a fourth year at Marist Red and White Stadium, 4200 W. 115th St., Chicago.

This is an over-21 event (IDs will be checked). Gates open at 4 p.m., with the first band taking the stage at 4:30 p.m. and continues until 10 p.m. Hopefully, the Marist parking lot is a lot easier to get in and out of from Credit Union 1 Amphitheater in Tinley.

This year, music fans can anticipate a cashless environment, so bring your credit/debit cards. Pre-sale beverage tickets, too, can be purchased in advance online to avoid waiting in long beer lines.

Also, Southside Summer Festival welcomes Barraco’s as the new “official food vendor.”

“We’re really excited about partnering with Barraco’s. They’re a great, well known neighborhood eatery,” said Fr. Tom Hurley, ‘85, vice president of advancement and chaplain for Marist. “When an opening came up, Barraco’s wanted in.”

Southside Summer Festival features three live bands on the Marist football field, featuring headliner Poi Dog Pondering, Michael Glabicki of Rusted Root and Red Pop Fury. The music festival has quickly become one of the most highly anticipated events of summer. Thousands have attended this South Side event over the past four years.

>>> Volunteer At Marist's Southside Summer Fest And Get 1 Free Ticket And A T-Shirt

“What we can look forward to is great music, great people and nice food and drink,” Hurley said. “It will be a great summer night to get out in Chicago.”

The south suburban music festival has built a reputation of convincing national acts – like last year’s headliner, The Bo Deans – into performing on a high school football field.

A veteran organizer of the former Old St. Pat Block Party, Hurley has brought in the famed block party’s booking agent, Fred Brennan.

“Fred presents bands that he thinks will play on a high school football field to play on the South Side of Chicago,” Hurley said. “I do think there is entertainment we can get here. It’s a cool event, it’s safe, it’s nice, with a lot of great music lovers on the South Side.”

Power trio Red Pop Fury will kick Southside Summer Festival off to a fiery start. The furious, kick-ass rock ‘n roll band knows HUNDREDS of songs from all genres. CNN’s Wolf Blitzer called Red Pop Fury, the “greatest entertainment I have ever witnessed.”

Michael Glabicki, the visionary behind the multi-platinum, world-beat band Rusted Root, is a multifaceted musician, producer and songwriter. Glabicki’s talents are unique and extremely uplifting. The Pittsburg native’s new projects and music are extensions of his creative talent, and will inspire all those who participate. In addition to his new band, Uprooted, Glabicki is also hitting the road with Rusted Roots bandmate, Dirk Miller for bare essentials on a duo tour. The duo takes the old Rusted Root favorites along with new material and perform re-envisioned versions of them in an up close and intimate setting.

“Rusted Root sold out for us two years in a row at Old St. Pat,” Hurley said.

Headlining the musical festival will be Poi Dog Pondering. The ever exploring musical collection is led by band founder, and principle visionary, Frank Orrall, according to the band’s bio. Orrall was raised in Hawaii and came of age in Chicago. The band’s sound is rooted in nature, stream of consciousness songwriting.

“From post-punk Bohemian street buskers to impossible to market major label sacrificial lambs, and on to hard won autonomy with PDP’s own record label; Platetectonic Music, Poi Dog Pondering have ripened into staunchly independent musical voyagers.”

“This is the only concert they’re playing in the Chicago area in 2025,” Hurley said. “We’re excited they chose us.”

Asked if he ever strolls into the green room to hang out with bands before the show, Hurley tends to avoid it.

“They like to get in their groove and prepare,” Hurley said. “It’s like the sacristy before Mass. That’s my green room.”

Tickets are $35 in advance, $40 day of, and are available online at Marist Southside Summer Festival. In addition, a limited number of VIP tickets are still available for $150, which includes beverages and light bites.

“It’s a fun section,” Hurley said.

Open to ages 21 and above, tickets are $35 in advance (early bird rate ends Friday, July 18 at 11:55 a.m.), and $40 at the gate (debit/credit cards only.) Tickets can be purchased online at Southside Summer Festival 2025 Presented by Marist, via GoFan. All tickets are non-refundable. Your phone is your ticket.

“It’s a big field,” Hurley said. “We’ll continue to welcome people. We’ll have a good police presence and game plan.”

A big undertaking like a music festival also requires volunteers, and you can never have too many. Most volunteer shifts last about two hours. Volunteers will receive free admission to one of the best nights on the South Side and a T-shirt. If interested, please sign up to volunteer at Marist Southside Summer Festival Volunteer.

No outside food or beverages will be allowed; and chairs are not allowed on the football field, those wishing to sit on the lawn can bring blankets, otherwise seats are available in the stands. All seating is first-come, first-served.

Money raised from Southside Summer Festival helps to support scholarships and financial aid for current and future students of Marist High School.

“It goes back to the mission of Catholic schools. We raise money to offer families that can’t afford the full freight for their children,” Hurley said. “Not just Marist but all the other Catholic schools. Let’s try to support our mission in a fun way.”