Summer Camp Music Festival Ushers in the Season with a Dizzying Lineup and a Jam-Packed Memorial Day Weekend
Memorial Day weekend traditionally marks the beginning of summer, and nothing says summer and the full-speed-ahead start of festival season like the 18th annual Summer Camp Music Festival in Chillicothe, Ill. To be held May 25-27 at Three Sisters Park, the three-day festival (four if you count the stacked pre-party line up on May 24) includes a head-spinning “who’s who” in music that crosses multiple genres.
The festival lineup dives deep into jam, EDM, hip hop, rap, bluegrass, funk, blues, soul and progressive reggae. Headliner’s Jam powerhouses moe. and Umphrey’s McGee are joined by Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh and The Terrapin Family Band, superstar DJ and producer Diplo, hip hop and rap godfathers Cypress Hill, and psychedelic funk, reggae, rock, hip-hop fusion band Slightly Stoopid.
And then there’s the massive undercard that’s simply outa control, with just about everybody who is anybody on the the festival circuit included. Good luck trying to catch over 170 artists including STS9, RL Grime, Greensky Bluegrass, Beats Antique, Lettuce, SOJA, The Motet, Con Brio, Horseshoes and Hand Grenades, The Joe Marcinek Band, Break Science, TAUK, The Jaden Carlson Band, Zoogma, Roosevelt Collier, Nikki Lane, The Monophonics, The Main Squeeze, Mike Dillon’s Punk Rock Percussion Consortium, and the list just goes on, and on, and on. Seriously. If you can’t find something to suit your musical tastes here, you’re just impossible to please.
Starting May 24, the fun will get under way with a stacked pre-party lineup, including Lettuce, Keller Williams, Yonder Mountain String Band, EOTO and more. The party will rage into the wee hours of the morning over the course of the festival with Red Barn Late Nights. Space at The Red Barn is limited, and general admission passes are sold out, but tickets for the nightly event can still be had by purchasing a VIP upgrade. Umphrey’s McGee, Moe, Diplo and STS9 are just some of the artists who will be blowing the roof off the place.
If the line up wasn’t enough to wear you out, the festival offers a host of other activities including the third annual Permaculture Action Day on May 23 at The Seven Circles Heritage Center in nearby Edwards, Illinois. Beats Antique will be performing, and participants can come out and learn Permaculture techniques that support the care of the earth and give back to the local community. Just in case you can’t make it for this, don’t worry. SOULPATCH, Summer Camp’s long-term, interactive garden space will be offering demonstrations in Permaculture throughout the course of the festival.
Revelers can also make a difference and earn access to a special performance of Everyone Orchestra in two ways. For instant access, they can engage in three action items which include: participating in a non-profit drive, register to vote with HeadCount or sign up for any volunteer team.There’s also the Make a Difference Treasure Hunt where attendees complete a list of activities like participating in a Soulshine Workshop or bringing recycling/composting bags to the event’s sorting center. Summer Camp bills itself as a sustainable festival with biodiesel generators, green teams, composting and recycling stations, and environmental education opportunities among its efforts.
Wait! You’re not done yet. Art lovers will appreciate The Soulshine Live Art Gallery located at The Soulshine Tent where artists, creators and builders will be showcasing their work for display and sale. Click here for a rundown of what’s going on at The Soulshine Tent.
To purchase tickets and for more information on Summer Camp Music Festival, click on the links below.
