IRVING PARK — After a successful first year, Independence Park is bringing back its celebration of local artists and vendors for neighbors to enjoy.
This year’s festival will start at 11:30 a.m. Saturday at the Independence Park, 3945 N. Springfield Ave. Various vendors will be present at the fest along with a wide variety of music.
Indie Park Fest will feature a collection of local artists of different genres. Puerto Rican group Piraguas y Piropos, progressive funk band Groovy Louie & the Time Capsules and rock band The Laughing Hearts are just a few of the different musicians neighbors can find at the festival.
Neighbors can also find a plethora of vendors including self-care products from Penny Moon Botanicals, crochet plushies from Fresa, Nails By Jojo and yarn from Millie & Maggie Fiber Arts.
A kids’ corner with face-painting, crafts and bounce houses will be available from noon to 2 p.m.
One of the bands performing, the improvisational Lunar Ticks, has a member who is responsible for the creation of Indie Park Fest. Ryan Mannix has lived in the Irving Park neighborhood for ten years and has previously performed with his band at Independence Park.
Mannix attended Independence Park Advisory Council (IPAC) meetings to see how to bring more events to his neighborhood park. Eventually, an idea about a full-day music festival came to light.
“Everyone that I worked with at IPAC is awesome and very supportive. They trust me and the band and our judgement of what will be a good event,” Mannix said. “I attend the meetings and they will express their concerns or stuff they want to add, they’ll pitch some things for vendors or bands, and usually we have a similar idea of what we want at the end of the day.”
Similar to other park concerts, Mannix made it a priority to have diversity within the groups performing as he contributed to the band selection process.
“We don’t want to just have seven bands who sound the same. I think it’s important to have a unique and diverse sound,” Mannix said. “I try to blend the aspect of keeping it a collective, but then keeping it in with the people that I know. I have so many good friends that I met through music, it’s nice to finally show them off to a bigger crowd.”
The organizers recommend bringing a picnic blanket and a cooler to spend the day listening to local music. A $15 donation is recommended, with funds going directly to the performing artists.
Indie Park Fest 2023 Performers
- The Box Band, noon-12:45 p.m.
- Piraguas y Piropos, 1:15-2 p.m.
- Ron Parks, 2:30-3:15 p.m.
- Groovy Louie & the Time Capsules, 3:45-4:30 p.m.
- The Laughing Hearts, 5-5:45 p.m.
- Beat The Meatles, 5:15-7:30 p.m.
- Lunar Ticks, 8-9:30 p.m.
Updates on the performance schedule and vendors can be found on the IPAC Facebook page.
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