Quantcast

The DNAinfo archives brought to you by WNYC.
Read the press release here.

Wild Onion Fest Brings Art and Music Together in Logan Square

By Paul Biasco | October 8, 2015 6:33am
 The Wild Onion Fest will be held at the Burlington on Oct. 24.
The Wild Onion Fest will be held at the Burlington on Oct. 24.
View Full Caption
Wild Onion

LOGAN SQUARE — Have you seen the wild onions pasted up all over the neighborhood? The creators of the upcoming Wild Onion Festival hope the event will be a springboard for emerging Chicago artists and musicians.

"Fusing a market and a music festival has always been a dream of mine," said Jonathan Mead-Crenshaw, co-founder of the festival that debuts Oct. 24.

The three creators of Wild Onion, all Logan Square residents, said the market will eventually pop up at different locations around the city just like wild onions sprout out of the ground.

"We are definitely plugged into the craft circuit so we were like, 'We can do this too, we should do our own,'" said Angela Mead-Crenshaw , one of the co-founders.

The first Wild Onion will be held Oct. 24 at the Burlington, 3425 W. Fullerton Ave., and will feature crafts and art from about 20 vendors as well as music from six bands. The pop-up music and night market will focus on local musicians and artists and will likely include a few food trucks parked out front.

"Ideally, we would like the performance end of it to gain some traction and have both [the craft and music portions] have equal weight," said Nick Vandevelde, a co-founder.

Vandevelde the Mead-Crenshaws have been involved in the local craft circuit for years.

Vandevelde, an artist and solo musician, will be performing during the fest under the name Stone Fruit.

The other bands that will be performing include Brenda & the Black Jackets, The Night Hours and Closed Mouths.

The event is free and will likely be the first of many.

The crew behind the market, derived from the city's name meaning a wild smelly onion, envision holding Wild Onion pop-up events every few months at different locations around the city.

"We are bringing attention to local artists and musicians who may not know how, who need that extra push," Angela Mead-Crenshaw said.

The Wild Onion will be held at the Burlington, 3425 W. Fullerton Ave., 5 p.m. to midnight Oct. 24.

For more neighborhood news, listen to DNAinfo Radio here: