PORTAGE PARK — The fourth annual Six Corners BBQ Fest set for June 14-15 will offer ribs, chicken, sausage and beef — all with a side of arts and culture.
Meat lovers will get a chance to chow down from noon-10 p.m. June 14 and from noon-9 p.m. June 15 while raising money for four local arts organizations: Arts Alive Chicago, the National Veterans Art Museum, the Northwest Arts Connection and the Filament Theatre Ensemble.
Heather Cherone discusses the big events at the Six Corners:
Organizers will ask attendees for a $5 donation, and all proceeds will go to the arts groups, which are part of a burgeoning arts scene taking shape in the Six Corners Shopping District.
The festival will also feature the reopening of the Portage Theater, which had been closed for nearly a year. A comedy show and a trio of classic films starting at 4 p.m. June 14 are free.
Peace Frog, a Doors tribute band, will take the Portage Theater stage at 9 p.m. June 14. Tickets are $10 to $15.
Indie rockers Ha Ha Tonka will headline the festival's main stage June 14, while Nashville-based The Apache Relay will headline June 15. Zydeco, brass bands and rock will fill the festival with music during the day.
The Meat on Milwaukee cook off contest June 15 will award bragging rights to the best backyard chef at the festival in two categories: chicken, and pork spare ribs.
Chicago’s own horror host Svengoolie will join former World Wrestling Entertainment wrestlers Tatonke and Trent Barreta for a showdown.
Chefs from local restaurants, including The Portage and Sol De Mexico, will host cooking demonstrations and Portage Park brewery Lake Effect Brewery will be on hand as well.
Portage Park restaurant Hops & Barley will make its first appearance at the three-day festival slinging barbecue beef sliders and barbecue wings.
Filament Theater Ensemble will present a dinner theater performance of songs, scenes and neighborhood stories from its Crossing Six Corners series of shows. Tickets are $25, and includes a donation to the festival and dinner from Smoque BBQ.
The festival will include a kids corner featuring inflatables, face painting, crafts and carnival games.
