6 Corners BBQ Fest expanded to 3 days, larger festival grounds; more family activities planned
by BRIAN NADIG
Plans are being made to expand the annual Six Corners “BBQ Fest” to include larger festival grounds, more family activities and a third day.
In the past the festival, which started in 2011, was held the Saturday and Sunday of Father’s Day weekend along Milwaukee Avenue between Irving Park Road on the south and Belle Plaine Avenue on the north.
Last year about 11,000 people attended the festival, which features bands, food vendors, professional wrestling and art activities. Milwaukee will be closed to traffic during the festival.
The 2015 festival grounds will be extended north to Berteau Avenue, plus there will be additional activities on Belle Plaine, according to representatives of Special Events Management, which is coordinating the festival on behalf of the Six Corners Association. The festival also will be open, from 5 to 11 p.m. Friday, June 19, in addition to 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday, June 20, and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday, June 21.
In addition to entrances on Milwaukee, a new entrance will be open on Cicero Avenue at Belle Plaine, said Special Events communications director Fred Newton. Festival organizers have said that the Cicero entrance should add to the visibility of the festival due to the high volume of traffic on that street.
The increase in the size of the festival grounds will allow for more merchants, barbeque food vendors and children’s activities, according to Special Events.
The main stage will be located near Milwaukee and Warner avenues. The band lineup includes Too White Crew, Funkadesi, Rico, Zydeco Voodoo and Hurricane Gumbo.
Applications for vendors are available at www.6cornersbbqfest.com, or can be obtained by contacting Joe Persfull at 773-584-6642 or jpersfull@chicagoevents.com.
Festival attendees are asked to pay a $5 gate donation. The festival’s main sponsor, the Six Corners Association, sponsors beautification and marketing initiatives for the Six Corners commercial district.
