Wood Dale’s Prairie Fest will be held June 26-29 at Community Park, 655 N. Wood Dale Road.
Courtesy of Karly Tearney Photography
After moving out of its “comfort zone” while considering this year’s concert headliner, Wood Dale Prairie Fest organizers anticipate the choice will spike attendance.
The goal was to capture the Generation X crowd who came of age in the 1990s. The prime Friday night slot of the four-day festival went to award-winning West Coast alternative rock band Everclear.
Prairie Fest opens Thursday, June 26, and runs through Sunday, June 29, at Community Park, Mittel Drive and Wood Dale Road. Gates open at 5:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday and at 12:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
“This is the first time that we’ve kind of gotten out of the comfort zone of bands that we’ve usually had,” said Janelle Silva, Wood Dale’s director of community relations and also on the city’s special events committee.
“We’re trying to reach a younger audience, those who might be parents now, who might want to enjoy a day out with the kids both in the day and in the evening,” she said.
Everclear, the alternative rock band founded in 1992 by vocalist and guitarist Art Alexakis, foreground, will headline Wood Dale’s Prairie Fest on Friday, June 27.
Courtesy of the city of Wood Dale
Those young parents likely heard radio-friendly Everclear hits such as “Santa Monica” and “Wonderful.” The band had four albums hit gold or platinum status.
“This year, we expect upward of 20,000 people because of Everclear,” Silva said of the four-day total.
But it won’t only be due to Everclear, which is scheduled for 9:15 to 10:30 p.m. Friday. There is no charge to see the bands.
Also featured at Prairie Fest bill are ARRA, Too Hype Crew and the long-standing party band 7th heaven, some of the most popular groups on the summer circuit.
The full lineup, available on the city website at wooddale.com, includes bands such as Petty Union, Sucker Punch, iPOP, Cheap Foreign Cars, and Everett Dean and the Lonesome Hearts.
An experiment festival organizers started in 2023 to attract Sunday crowds lost during the COVID-19 pandemic — ZOWA wrestling — has been a hit.
The family-friendly entertainment runs from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Sunday. Silva said hundreds of people watch the often humorous matches.
“It is awesome,” she said.
Other highlights include the Saturday night fireworks display and the fest-opening Thursday call to arms by Wood Dale’s VFW Post Tioga No. 2146, celebrating its 90th anniversary.
Carnival rides for toddlers through teens join food and nonfood vendors, bands, ZOWA wrestling and other attractions at the 2024 Prairie Fest in Wood Dale.
Courtesy of Karly Tearney Photography
There are food vendors, food trucks and business vendors that include Church Street Brewery, Taqueria Azteca, White Cottage Pizza and corporate sponsor CyrusOne, which in May held a “topping out” ceremony for its 500,000-square-foot data center in Wood Dale.
Thursday is “Resident Appreciation Night,” with a free food voucher for Wood Dale residents who provide proof of residency.
To support the Wood Dale Public Library’s summer reading program, students who complete the program by Sunday, June 29, will receive a wristband for unlimited carnival rides that day.
“We generally have a parking lot-plus full of rides (for) toddlers up through the teens,” Silva said.
