Belmont-Sheffield Memorial Day Music Fest

The 41st Annual Belmont-Sheffield Music Fest opened Friday, May 22, on Sheffield Avenue in Chicago’s Lakeview East neighborhood for a three-day Memorial Day weekend run. The event is scheduled from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, according to Choose Chicago and event organizer Special Events Management. Lakeview East Chamber of Commerce is the beneficiary of the festival’s suggested gate donation, which organizers list at $10. The festival site runs on Sheffield between Roscoe and Belmont, a block anchored by the Belmont CTA station and surrounded by street closures and temporary parking restrictions. ### Where exactly is the festival, and when is it open? The festival is centered at 3200 N. Sheffield Ave. and stretches along Sheffield between Belmont and Roscoe, according to Choose Chicago and the Lakeview East Chamber of Commerce. Organizers describe it as a Memorial Day weekend kickoff event in Lakeview East, just steps from the Belmont station served by the Red, Purple and Brown lines. Friday’s hours are 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., while Saturday, May 23, and Sunday, May 24, run from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., event listings show. The chamber’s event page says Sheffield Street “transforms into a vibrant festival experience” for the weekend, with two stages, food vendors and local sellers. ### What will people find once they get inside? Choose Chicago says the festival features national tribute bands, local entertainers, artisans, food vendors, beer and wine. Special Events Management describes the lineup as centered on tribute acts on the main stage near Roscoe, with a separate community entertainment stage near Belmont for neighborhood performers, DJs and local talent. Vendor listings on the Choose Chicago event page name Joyee Creations, One Man, One Garage, Tori Grace Outfitters, Polar Bare Bath and Pocket Square Clothing among the sellers. The chamber’s event page says shoppers can expect apparel, accessories, candles and pet goods alongside food and drink stands. ### Which acts are scheduled to play? Friday’s main-stage headliners are Stache at 6 p.m. and Rod Tuffcurls & The Bench Press at 8 p.m., according to Choose Chicago. Friday’s Belmont Stage schedule lists Lady Loomis at 6:30 p.m. and Good Country at 8 p.m. Saturday’s main stage is scheduled to feature School of Rock, Four Star Brass Band, The Strangers, Jagged Little Pill and Trippin Billies, the event listing shows. Saturday’s Belmont Stage roster includes Saving The Suburbs, Fiddle Rock, 3 Martini Jeannie, Full Volume Band, Nelson Street Revival and DJ TZME. Sunday’s main stage is set for Generation Band, RAVIV – Electric Cellos, That Petty Band or Petty Union, The Divas and Hello Weekend, according to event pages that list slightly different names for the 4 p.m. set. Sunday’s Belmont Stage schedule includes Bear & Jake Acoustic, Sucker Punch, My Weekend Crush, Rumor Hazit, Chasing Rumours – Fleetwood Mac and Mellencougar. ### Who gets the money from the gate donation? The Lakeview East Chamber of Commerce is the named beneficiary of the event’s suggested $10 donation at the gate. Choose Chicago quotes Maureen Martino, executive director of the chamber, saying, “We are so excited to be hosting this Chicago tradition that celebrates the start of summer.” Choose Chicago also says the chamber uses festival funds for neighborhood beautification and safety. Special Events Management identifies the chamber as a community-based organization representing merchants and other businesspeople in the area. ### What should neighbors and visitors know before they go? The chamber’s event page says the festival sits directly under the Belmont CTA station, making rail access the most direct option. It also lists bus routes on Belmont, Clark, Halsted and Broadway as nearby connections. Street restrictions are already in effect around the site, according to a tow notice posted by the chamber. The notice says vehicles can be towed from parts of Sheffield from Friday, May 22, through Monday, May 25, at 6 a.m., with an additional west curb lane closure on Wilton Avenue through late Sunday. Organizers direct questions on closures to Special Events Management. Sunday, May 24, is the festival’s final day, with Hello Weekend scheduled for 8 p.m. on the main stage and Mellencougar set for 8:30 p.m. on the Belmont Stage, according to the published lineup. Updated schedules and event details are posted on Choose Chicago, the Lakeview East Chamber of Commerce site and the organizer’s event page.