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Logan Square Arts Festival Aims For City's Most Unique Street Fest

By Paul Biasco | May 5, 2016 5:28am | Updated on June 24, 2016 9:33am
 The Logan Square Arts Festival returns for its eighth year in June.
The Logan Square Arts Festival returns for its eighth year in June.
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LOGAN SQUARE — After the most successful year in its eight-year history, the organizers behind the Logan Square Arts Festival are pushing to make the event the city's most unique neighborhood fest this summer.

That push includes a focus on more art, a music lineup headlined by Blitzen Trapper, Screaming Females and Xenia Rubinos, and a return to a neighborhood beer sponsor, Revolution Brewing.

The location will once again be in the heart of the neighborhood near the Illinois Centennial Monument.

That spot is the most unique of any festival in town, according to Geary Yonker, president of the Logan Square Arts Festival.

"There's nothing else like it," Yonker said of the location. "There's a lot of street festivals, and they are all set up the same way."

The Logan Square Arts Festival tested out setting up on Milwaukee Avenue for a few years, but it didn't capture the same vibe of the neighborhood.

New this year will be a collective art show in a 1,000-square-foot tent featuring work by local artists called the Art Orchard, located where an orchard had been proposed for the neighborhood as part of the Mega Mall redevelopment.

The festival, Friday-Sunday, will also feature a light installation around the Eagle monument by George Berlin.

That project has been a bit of a dream for the organizers and, thanks to the success of last year's festival, will be a reality this year, Yonker said.

"We want to try to really make it special, different. Make it an experience," he said.

The year will feature a larger community stage with music on the east end of the festival.

Revolution Brewing will be back after three years of Goose Island at the fest.

“The Logan Square art scene makes the neighborhood great, and we're happy to be pouring some local beers at the square during the fest again," said the brewery’s founder, Josh Deth.

Another new feature this year will be a mural board program.

Ten of Chicago best-known street artists will be working on murals throughout the festival grounds throughout the weekend.

The festival kicks off Friday, the same weekend as the Pride Parade, with a lineup conducive to a dance party. 

Slo' Mo, who have a residency at The Whistler, will take the stage for two hours followed by Xenia Rubinos.

Screaming Females will headline Saturday, and Blitzen Trapper will headline Sunday.

A portion of each suggested $5 gate donation will go toward the restoration of the Centennial Monument.

The festival, which is curated by I Am Logan Square, raised more than $20,000 to support local arts organizations and the restoration of the monument in 2015.

FRIDAY / MAIN

9-10 p.m.: Xenia Rubinos

7-9 p.m. Slo 'Mo Dance Party

5:45-6:15 p.m.: TBA

FRIDAY / COMMUNITY

6:15-7 p.m.: DJ Jerome Derradji

5-5:45 p.m.: Weatherman

SATURDAY / MAIN

8:45-10 p.m.: Screaming Females

7-8 p.m.: Open Mike Eagle

5:30-6:15 p.m.: Meat Wave

4-4:45 p.m.: Vic Spencer

2:30-3:15 p.m.: Lowdown Brass Band

1-1:45 p.m.: TBA

SATURDAY / COMMUNITY

8-8:45 p.m.: Expansion Pack

6:15-7 p.m.: Son Monarcas

4:45-5:30 p.m.: Rempis/Abrams/Ra

3:15-4 p.m.: Health&Beauty Solo

1:45-2:30 p.m.: Berman Trio

12:15-1 p.m.: Rock Falls

SUNDAY / MAIN

8:45-10 p.m.: Blitzen Trapper

7-8 p.m.: Esso Afrojam Funkbeat

5:30-6:15 p.m.: Ryley Walker & Bill MacKay

4-4:45 p.m.: TBA

2:30-3:15 p.m.: Music Band

1-1:45 p.m.: TBA

SUNDAY / COMMUNITY

8-8:45 p.m.: Iré Elese Abure

6:15-7 p.m.: TALsounds

4:45-5:30 p.m.: Keefe Jackson/Jason Adasiewicz

3:15-4 p.m.: Mending

1:45-2:30 p.m.: Twin Talk

12:15-1 p.m.: Into Dust

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