There’s a new type of music festival slowly but surely taking over the summer festival scene.
While mega-fests Coachella, Bonnaroo, and our very own Lollapalooza have always been front and center, the music landscape is seeing a shift.
Welcome to the world of boutique music festivals—all the exhilaration of big-name fests on a smaller scale, with one key distinction: no repeat headliners. Boutique festivals can appeal to a wider audience by offering an expansive range of emerging artists and musicians from varying genres.
Val Haller, music curator of the Winnetka Music Festival, hand picks the hottest emerging artists in the industry for her annual boutique music festival. Under her brand, ValsList, Haller helps busy adults remain current with new music.
Haller aims for festivalgoers to find new sounds and be the first to experience the best new talent in the music industry.
The destination music fest rang in its third year this past weekend, June 21-22, with four stages, 40 acts, and over 60 musical performances throughout the Village of Winnetka.
From top-notch singer/songwriters, pop, rock, and alternative bands to country, blues, gospel, and EDM (electronic dance music), the 2019 Winnetka Music Festival had performances for every music taste.
This year’s lineup included both international and emerging artists — including Moon Taxi, Spencer Ludwig, The New Respects, DOROTHY, The Sisterhood Band, and more — fresh from appearances at the Grand Ole Opry, SXSW, and CMT Music Awards.
The 2019 Winnetka Music Festival was presented by Northwestern Medicine with a portion of the proceeds going to the All Stars Project of Chicago (ASP), a nonprofit organization using a performance-based approach to youth mentorship and development. ASP music group, Brothers on a Mission (BOM), made their second ValsList appearance at this year’s fest performing on the Fields Auto Group Family Stage.
Take a front row seat and enjoy the best photos from the 2019 Winnetka Music Festival.
Emily Stone earned a degree in journalism from Elon University in North Carolina. Along with writing, Stone has a passion for digital storytelling and photography. Her work has been published in Chicago Athlete Magazine. Stone is a supporter of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Stone is a fluent Spanish speaker who in her free time loves a good dance class.
