2023 Winnetka Music Festival To Feature 4 Stages, 2 Days Of Bands

WINNETKA, IL — The Winnetka Music Festival is set to return to the village for a sixth year with an expanded two-day schedule over Father's Day weekend.

The ticketed festival will include four stages, as well as food trucks, beer gardens and street musicians in downtown Winnetka on June 16-17, 2023.

For the first time, festival organizers are collaborating with 16 on Center, the bar, restaurant and music venue group that runs Evanston SPACE, as well as The Salt Shed, Thalia Hall and the Empty Bottle.

Winnetka resident Val Haller, the founder of ValslistMusic and the festival's creator, will collaborate with SPACE to curate the festival's musical lineup, which will be announced April 1.

“The Winnetka Music Festival has become one of the most unique and respected music festivals in the Midwest,” Haller said in a statement. “New artists are anxious to perform here because of our commitment to both artist AND fan.”

According to organizers, more than 9,000 people a day attended the festival in its first three years before restrictions associated with the coronavirus pandemic forced the cancellation of the 2020 edition.

In 2021, a scaled down festival attracted 3,00 attendees, and last year 5,500 people attended the one-day event.

During its first six years of operations, the festival has generated $1.9 million in revenue against $1.8 million in expenses, not counting in-kind service donations from the village.

Village taxpayers also provide a $25,000 annual sponsorship, although festival organizers provide about $10,000 in reimbursement every year, according records provided by village staff.

Other co-sponsors include the Winnetka Park District and the Winnetka-Northfield-Glencoe Chamber of Commerce.

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While the festival is known for showcasing emerging midwestern talent, last year it booked nationally known rock bands Guster and The Record Company as headliners.

“Fans of the fest will not only be able to say ‘I saw them when’ (as our emerging bands achieve critical acclaim) but now will also say ‘I can’t believe I saw that band in Winnetka!’ given our nationally recognized talent,” Mark Haller, co-producer for strategy and operations, said in a statement.

General admission and VIP tickets will be available for purchase online. Last year, tickets sold out three months before the event, according to organizers.

“The fact that Winnetka has its own industry-recognized namesake music festival is perhaps emblematic of our unique community," he added. "Supporting it is a way that we can cement our position as one of the most distinctive places to live."