Oswegoland Park District announces entertainment lineup for PrairieFest 2022

PrairieFest, the area’s popular community festival, will be back from June 16 to 19.

Presented by the Oswegoland Park District, the fest combines small-town charm with a summer celebration over Father’s Day weekend.

Free concerts from a mix of national and local bands, along with other entertaining performances, have been a highlight of the weekend. Offering free parking and free admission, PrairieFest has kicked off the summer since 1989.

The circus comes to town this year with the RockNCircus. PrairieFest will feature four days of exciting shows led by Circus Shane Hansen. Festival guests will witness juggling, magic, trampoline skills, cube spinning, fire effects, and a death-defying, 65-foot high dive.

Thursday’s celebration begins with several local groups, culminating with the PrairieWinds Community Concert, a PrairieFest tradition for musicians in the area. Anyone interested in joining the community band can email Stevan Rexroat at srexroat@sd308.org. These performances will serve as a great lead-in to the Thursday night band, Rod Tuffcurls and The Bench Press. The Chicago-area party band combines musicianship, three-part vocal harmonies, and a contagious stage energy that will keep the crowd singing and dancing.

Local band Acoustic Deficit Disorder will open Friday, June 17. Afterward, there is a planned performance by International Pop Overthrow with Material Issue. Guests can hear this Chicago band’s 1990s hits “Valerie Loves Me,” “Diane,” “What Girls Want” and “Kim the Waitress.” Friday night caps off with The Smithereens playing “A Girl Like You,” “Blood and Roses” and “Only a Memory.” The band will take the stage with special guest Marshall Crenshaw, known for “Someday, Someway.”

With the help of generous business partners, PrairieFest continues to offer entertainment for Saturday. Millington, Illinois’s own Woody James will open the day with his band, Carolina Pine. Yorkville’s Ethan Bell Band will be a rousing lead-in for the night’s big act.

On Saturday, June 18, Phil Vassar will perform for the PrairieFest crowd. Vassar made the charts with hits like “Carlene,” “Just Another Day in Paradise” and “That’s When I Love You.” He also penned No. 1 hits for country artists Collin Raye (“Little Red Rodeo”), Jo Dee Messina (“Bye, Bye” and “I’m Alright”), Tim McGraw (“My Next Thirty Years” and “For A Little While”). PrairieFest Park will be the place to be to hear his 20 years of country hits, 10 No. 1 singles and 27 top 40 songs.

There is no stopping the activities on Father’s Day, June 19. The day will begin with the PrairieFest 5K and Prairie Dog Jog. The PrairieFest parade steps off at 1 p.m., and will entertain crowds along Main Street in Oswego. The last band of the weekend will be American English, the Beatles tribute band, playing the park at 4 p.m.

Community groups looking to be a part of the Selfie Spot Night or PrairieFest Expo Village or to march in the parade are encouraged to call festival Director Kristie Vest at 630-554-4425 or email kvest@oswegolandpd.org. Area businesses looking to support the community festival are encouraged to contact Vest, as well.

You can get the latest festival information at prairiefest.com. See you at the fest.