Merchant Street MusicFest attendance dampened by rain

Attendance for Merchant Street MusicFest, the music festival that takes over the downtown Kankakee festival square every summer, took a hit this year, likely due to a substantial downpour on day two of the fest.

The total attendance, including sponsors and volunteers who got in for free, was 4,400 between both days, July 25 and 26.

The number of paying attendees was 3,248.

The 2024 fest had more impressive numbers, with a total attendance of 8,033 between the two-day fest, and 6,283 wristbands sold.

Allison Beasley, director of the Kankakee Public Library, which puts on the fest, said she was pleased with how the fest turned out overall.

“We were bracing ourselves for Saturday to be a bit of a mess in terms of cancellations or having to cut sets,” she said.

One entire set had to be cut, local band Carrying Torches, and a couple of other sets had to be shortened.

Beasley noted that Carrying Torches has been invited back to play next year.

In terms of bands not being able to play, it could have been much worse, she said.

“I was thrilled with the amount of attendees who stuck it out and made the best of it,” Beasley said.

Beasley also noted rain insurance is purchased every year, and she is waiting to hear back regarding the claim she filed for this year.

This was the 15th Merchant Street MusicFest the library has put on, having taken it over in 2010, and canceled the year 2020 due to the pandemic.