Frankfort Bluegrass Fest To Bring Music, Road Closures Downtown

FRANKFORT, IL — A truly American form of music will return to Frankfort July 9-10 when the Frankfort Bluegrass Festival makes its comeback after a pandemic-related hiatus the past two years.

Of course, the return of the popular festival will also mean large crowds, and the Village of Frankfort will be closing multiple roads in the downtown area during the fest.

Closures include:

• Kansas Street from White Street to Oak Street on Saturday and Sunday.
• Ash Street from Nebraska to Kansas from 8 a.m. Saturday to 10 p.m. Sunday.
• No parking will be allowed on Kansas Street from Oak to White Street beginning at 2 a.m. on Saturday to 10 p.m. Sunday.
• No parking will be allowed on Ash Street from Nebraska Street to Kansas Street beginning at 2 a.m. Saturday through 10 p.m. Sunday.
• No parking will be allowed on E. Bowen Street from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
• The Breidert Green Municipal Parking Lot will be posted as “No Parking” from 2 a.m. Saturday to 10 p.m. Sunday.
• All parking restrictions will be posted and vehicles in violation may be towed.

The popular two-day musical event is free to attend for all ages and will feature around 20 national and regional bands across two stages at Breidert Green and at Prairie Park, according to festival organizers.

For the uninitiated, bluegrass music defined by its "southern string band music, blues, English, Irish, and Scottish traditions, and sacred and country music," according to the Smithsonian Institute. The typical bluegrass band includes a five-string banjo, a flat-top guitar, a fiddle, a mandolin and a bass.

The Frankfort Bluegrass Festival's Facebook page has lots of links to bands playing bluegrass, so be sure to check that out if you're unsure about what the music sounds like.

But there will be much more than music going on during the festival, organizers said. There will be a tent for children full of activities, a jamming tent for those interested in getting together and playing together, workshops, food and craft vendors, and more.

Attendees can also enter a raffle for a chance to win valuable guitars, a mandolin or a banjo. Raffle tickets are $5 each or six for $25 and will be available for sale during the fest. The drawing is scheduled to be held at July 10 at 6:30 p.m. All proceeds benefit the Frankfort Bluegrass Festival, which is a non-profit organization.

A list of performers and their bios for the performers can be found by following this link.

The Frankfort Bluegrass Festival has received many awards, including the 2018 International Bluegrass Music Association’s Event of the Year Award.

“International recognition raised expectations just before a pandemic altered all our lives,” said Steve Haberichter, founder of the fest and a participating musician. “We are reared back and ready to surge forward. The level of musicianship we recruit will never waver, and our audiences know that."

For more information, visit the Frankfort Bluegrass Festival website or Facebook page.