Belmont Sheffield Music Festival Kicks Off Free Summer Entertainment in Chicago

Audio Slideshow: Hank Zemola talks about the 26th annual Belmont Sheffield Music Festival

By Laura Fitzgerald and Kelly Stotmeister

Memorial Day weekend in Chicago begins the kickoff to summer events that bring different neighborhoods in the city together to enjoy food, beer, crafts and oftentimes free live musical performances.

The 2010 Belmont Sheffield Music Festival in Lakeview in late May was one of the first music festivals this summer season, showcasing 10 musical performances and various vendors.

House of Winehouse performed for the festival crowds Saturday afternoon

Sponsored mainly by the Central Lakeview Merchants Association, the 26th annual Belmont Sheffield Music Festival offered free entertainment at a suggested $5 donation that went toward the Lakeview community and grants.
Hank Zemola, the Chief Executive Officer of Chicago Special Events Management, was a fundamental contributor to the festival and spoke about the event production.

“This festival started in the late ’70s,” Zemola said. “We decided, ‘lets bring music to the outdoors, it’s less expensive so that people can really enjoy it and feature local retailers on the street’. That was kind of the birth of the event.”
Zemola said that throughout the 26 years the event has been going on, the location has relocated depending on construction and traffic demands.

“We’ve found a home between Roscoe and Belmont,” Zemola said. “We’ve got a really good retail group and it gives a chance for people to come out and kick off summer — it sets the tone for them.”

This year, the festival booked 10 bands, including Mr. Blotto, Wedding Banned, Trippin Billies, and House of Winehouse-an Amy Winehouse imitation band.

“We pick musical performances through a committee,” Zemola said. “We try to keep it fresh so it’s not the same bands over and over again. We look at someone who is maybe on the rise.”

Zemola said that there were economical benefits of summer festivals such as this one, saying that although hard economical times have hit, the festivals will continue throughout the summer, offering residents affordable entertainment right in their own neighborhoods.

“Surprisingly, the economy hasn’t hurt the events, we’ve actually grown,” he said. “People look at value. It’s very economical. I can come [to a festival] with $20 and probably have a pretty good time.”

Concertgoers who brought money to the festival had a lot of options to spend it on. Vendors such as John Monroe from the Kettle Korn Cabin offered food, beverages, clothing, and various other handmade crafts.

“I’ve been doing festivals for the past 16 years and have returned for the past 10 or 11 years to the Belmont Sheffield Music Festival,” said Monroe. “I sell my popcorn from May to the end of October. I keep coming back to Belmont because I enjoy the event and I usually get good sales.”

John Monroe from Kettle Korn Cabin

Those attending the concert and those who live in the area keep coming to see musical performances and buy from street vendors because it gives the neighborhood character.

“I come to this festival because I live in the area and it showcases what kind of community I live in,” said Lakeview resident Tom Jackson. “Our neighborhood has a lot a different restaurants and retailers that deserve attention and I’d rather spend my money in my own neighborhood than somewhere else.”

The Lakeview area isn’t the only location with a long-running summer festival. There are various locations across Chicago that are also celebrating events that have been around their respected communities for years.

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The month of June offers the Chicago Blues Festival from June 11-13 in Grant Park, MidSummer Festival from June 18-20 in West Rogers Park and many more.

The Chicago Blues Festival holds the title of largest free blues festival in the world and continues, year after year, to remain Chicago’s largest music festival. The MidSummer Festival commemorates the Summer Solstice and features a Scandinavian theme among its food, live music and activities for children.

July offers a large variety of events as well including West Fest from July 10-11 in the Ukranian Village, along with Wicker Park Fest from July 31- Aug. 1.

West Fest offers traditional festival vendors along with arts and crafts for kids and a unique pet fest area. Wicker Park Fest features indie music on three stages and local restaraunts at its seventh annual street fest.

August brings the festival season to close with festivals in just about every community from the West Loop to the Lakefront and the Southside to the Northside. Wrigleyville Summerfest kicks off from Aug. 14-15 and Lake View Music Fest rounds out the month from Aug. 28-29.

Wrigleyville Summerfest celebrates its eighth annual event with live music, food, and drinks, while Lake View Music Fest acknowledges its ninth annual street festival with similar activities just one neighborhood south.

The first weeks of Sept. satisfy the festival goers who aren’t quite ready to let go of the summer fun in the sun. The Chicago Jazz Festival from Sept. 4-5 in Grant Park completes the season as the longest-running lakefront festival in Chicago, celebrating its 32nd year in the Windy City.

“I think Chicagoans go to concerts because the city comes alive in the summer and people want to be out and about,” Jackson said. “And what better way to enjoy the city than with free entertainment.”

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