Evanston Folk Festival Welcomes Valerie June and Other Music Legends

Valerie June, the Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter, recently fulfilled her dream of performing at the Evanston Folk Festival. Known for her unique sound influenced by psychedelic folk, indie rock, Appalachian bluegrass, and soul, June performed on one of three stages on Saturday evening, joining more than 30 folk artists for this popular lakefront event.

The festival, in its third year, attracted 12,000 attendees to Dawes Park during the weekend of September 12 and 13. Jake Samuels, director of music at 16″ on Center, shared that the event saw over 6,000 attendees on Sunday and more than 5,000 on Saturday. Despite Sunday’s scattered showers, the weather did not deter concert-goers. Attendees stayed through the evening to enjoy headliner Indigo Girls.

The weather did not slow us down one bit, Samuels remarked.

This year’s festival featured headliners Trampled by Turtles and Indigo Girls. Other notable performers included Kathleen Edwards, Josh Ritter, Tift Merritt, Sierra Hull, and James McMurtry. Emily Saliers and Amy Ray of Indigo Girls expressed their excitement about returning to Evanston, and emphasized the positive energy of festivals.

Musician Kathleen Edwards performed in front of thousands, showcasing her talent on Sunday. Emily Saliers mentioned that festivals create a good vibe, noting that they sometimes adjust their set list based on crowd dynamics.

We might shift it during the middle of the set, but I mean this is a folk festival, so we’ll be playing some folk music for sure, Saliers said.

Several artists spoke about the joy of performing at open-air festivals. Josh Ritter highlighted how music can bring together people of diverse backgrounds and ideologies, emphasizing the rarity of such unity.

Music is something that brings people together, and that’s a very rare thing these days, said Ritter.

Tift Merritt expressed her preference for small festivals, valuing community over the pressures of the larger touring circuit. She performed on Sunday, engaging with the audience through her music.

Choosing a set list for the festival posed challenges due to limited performance time. Kathleen Edwards discussed the difficulty of narrowing down her songs but enjoyed playing recognizable hits to attract new listeners.

You kind of play the greatest hits, and sometimes that’s really fun, Edwards shared.

Her song, Asking For Flowers, remained a staple during performances due to its personal significance and popularity among fans.

Attendees universally praised the event’s organization and atmosphere. Betsy Storm and Chris Johnston from Evanston described the day as perfect. Jenny Schevers traveled over an hour to see Josh Ritter live, demonstrating the festival’s wide appeal.

I’m the folk music lover, Schevers said.

Inspiration for the festival stemmed from a desire to boost opportunities for singer-songwriters in the region. Samuels highlighted the focus on folk music, distinguishing Evanston from other Chicago-area events.

There are a million great festivals in and around Chicago, but not a ton that specifically focus on folk music, explained Samuels.