Flo Rida, Sam Hunt Among Musicians Coming To McHenry Music Festival

MCHENRY, IL — Tickets are going fast for an upcoming local musical festival featuring Bella Cain, Sam Hunt, Bailey Zimmerman and Flo Rida.

The McHenry Music Festival will take place on Sept. 12 to 14 at Petersen Park. Tickets are available online and are going fast, said Wayne Jett, co-founder and president of the foundation that gave rise to the McHenry Music Festival.

This year’s headlining acts include MCA Nashville artist Sam Hunt on Friday night, reggae-rock band Slightly Stoopid on Saturday night and fast-rising country music singer-songwriter Bailey Zimmerman on Sunday night.

Other performers in the lineup include Zach Miller, Ingrid Andress, Redferrin and Dustin Lynch on Friday night; The Expendables, The Elovaters and Dirty Heads on Saturday night; and Bella Cain, Bryan Martin and Flo Rida on Sunday night, according to a news release.

“Honestly, our lineup is equivalent to that of major festivals around the country,” Jett said. “Bringing in the reggae night is something different that people can’t find much in Illinois, and, according to our ticket sales, it’s proving to be a hit.”

The McHenry Music Festival, formerly RISE Up, first started bringing national acts to Petersen Park in 2020, with proceeds earmarked for desired community projects. It has drawn crowds of 22,000 to 30,000 people annually, with the exception of 2021, when the fest took a one-year hiatus, according to the news release.

Upgrades have been made this year to the stage’s size and location, Jett said.

“Our old stage was roughly 25 feet by 50 feet,” he said. “This year’s stage with platforms is roughly 120 feet by 60 feet. We’ve added video walls to the sides of the stage with live cameras for better viewing.”

The stage will also change locations this year and will be located north of the railroad tracks and west of Petersen Park Road.

“It’s going to cost an additional $100,000 for us to enclose the area, but we will be able to accommodate more people more comfortably and with better line of sight,” he said. “It’s wider. It’s just going to be an all-around better experience.”

Both Jett and Mike Mrachek, a McHenry fest volunteer heavyweight, said the countless hours that they and about 498 other volunteers put into the McHenry Music Festival is well worth it.

“Yes, it’s a lot of work,” Mrachek said. “But I think the biggest part is the result. It brings our community together.”

Jett said the fest has raised almost $1.4 million to date. Proceeds have been used to help fund the Fort McHenry splash pad, the amphitheater at Miller Point and a special needs playground at Veterans Memorial Park.

Proceeds from this year’s fest are earmarked for a bike park pump track east of the existing skate park, west of city hall. Generous sponsor support — to the tune of about $400,000 annually — has combined with volunteer, performer and fan support to make the McHenry Music Festival what it has become, Jett said.

“It’s a $3 million show this year,” he said. “We started with small national acts and a small stage. Now we’ve grown to where we’ve changed the location, leased property for additional parking, added bigger-name acts, and now we’re renting the largest stage you can rent," Jett said.