Summer is here, which means the Logan Square Arts Festival is back June 22 through 24. You are not going to want to miss this year’s festival with local artists, delicious food and diverse music to get you on your feet.
This year marks the 10th Logan Square Arts Festival and will coincide with the 100th anniversary of the dedication of the Illinois Centennial Monument in the heart of Logan Square.
Geary Yonker, the Logan Square Arts Festival’s executive producer, has a lot of aspects he is excited to see come to fruition. One of the things he is most looking forward to is this year’s featured live street artists.
“We have featured live street artists every year but this year we are going to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Centennial Monument by creating eight-foot-tall wooden ‘mini-monuments.’ These live murals will be painted on Saturday and Sunday and five sites around the festival,” Yonker said.
He was also excited to share that they have increased the size of the Milwaukee Avenue stage. With the stage’s popularity growing every year, they decided to make it the same size as the Monument Stage. Not only will the stage see some terrific acts at night, but for the first time ever, family-friendly acts will perform as well.
On Saturday and Sunday from 12 to 2 p.m., the Milwaukee Avenue Stage will feature kid-focused performers and family art activities in the adjacent Interactive Arts Tent, Yonker said.
Art vendor, publisher and longtime resident Josh Gartler said he enjoys seeing friends and neighbors at the festival.
“The whole festival has a community feel to it,” Gartler said. “The vibe is very different and I think people really enjoy their own community and participate [in] the things going on.”
Gartler will be selling vintage Chicago poster prints and reproductions. You may have seen him selling his art at the fair two years ago; he said he is happy to be back. The poster he is most excited about is the Logan Square Monument poster. The original was done in 1924; later in 2015, the Centennial Monument needed work done so Logan Square Preservation released a limited edition poster of his and raised $12,000 to help restore the monument.
A version of this poster will be available at Gartler’s booth at the festival and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to Logan Square Preservation.
Both Yonker and Gartler feel very lucky to be a part of the Logan Square Arts Festival. Organizers, artists and attendees alike can’t help but notice how special this festival is compared to others in the city.
“No other neighborhood festival features such a diverse music lineup that includes jazz, traditional Puerto Rican bomba, regional Mexcian music, and performers from Honduras along with indie rock, pop, punk, country and hip-hop,” Yonker proudly said.
“We are so lucky to be able to present the festival in Logan Square. It’s such a unique space where people are able to put down a blanket in the grass and spend the day.”
View the full lineup and schedule of events here and view Gartler’s posters here or in-person this weekend. Check out our previous coverage of the fest to get some history and info before you get cozy on the grass.
We hope to see you at the Logan Square Arts Festival this weekend. Stop by the LoganSquarist table and say hello!
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