Over the weekend of July 26-27, 11,000 people came out for music, food, and art at the Kankakee Merchant Street Music Fest. “We had 9,150 paid attendees [attendees who purchased tickets at the gates] and counting the sponsors, volunteers, crew, who didn’t pay – our total attendance was 11,000,” said Allison Beasley, coordinator for the event.
Held in downtown Kankakee at the Historic Depot and the Harold & Jean Minor Festival Square, Merchant Street Music Fest attracts a diverse crowd with it’s blend of local, regional, and national music acts. The 2019 lineup included bands such as Nick Lynch, Matt Yeader + The South Side Social Club, Eric Chesser, Carrying Torches, Crawford’s Daughter, DJ Jason Nueman and headliners All-4-One. To view the entire lineup and for more information about the music, including links for where to listen and social media, click here.
Food vendors at the event included Connect Roasters, Conway’s Concessions, Sweet Street, Jaenicke’s, Oberweis, Neighborhood Kitchen, Bamboo Island, Grapes and Hops, Uncle T’s Food Truck, Martinez Tacos, Que It Up, MiaBella’s, Cocky Bull, Brother George’s BBQ, and BrickStone Brewery. For more information about food vendors, click here. For drink vendors, click here.
Local and regional artists featured at MSMF included Apalm Creations, The 22 Tattoo Company, Christina Loriane, Ghost Owl Studio, Scrapgrinder Guitars, Peerless Charm, Natural Formations Jewelry, Onyxwings Art, Little Angels’ Secrets, Moon Cookie Gallery, Kharden Art, Artiture, Dylandouble, Makiart Illustrations, HippieBling Boutique, Afro Delights, Cricket Time, Prederick’s Emporium, Rocks by Scott, One Love Krystal, FRANK, Custom Lasercrafting, Two Crafty Ladies, and C+L Fine Goods Boutique. For more information about the artists, including their websites and social media pages, click here.
To keep up with news about MSMF, follow the festival on Facebook, Instagram and visit the website.
