May 06, 2025
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Date change for McHenry Music Festival as mayor teases big lineup announcement

Farm Tour with Luke concert series also coming to Prairie Grove

By Janelle Walker
Austin Burke and band play on stage during the RISE Up music festival on Saturday, Sept. 25, 2021 at Petersen Park in McHenry. Funds raised from the Friday and Saturday music festival, which included artists such as Sugar Ray, Smash Mouth, Brantley Gilbert, and more, are going toward a new splashpad at Fort McHenry, according to the RISE Up foundation's website.

Austin Burke and band play on stage during the RISE Up music festival in 2021 at Petersen Park in McHenry. The event is now called McHenry Music Festival and has a new date. (Lucy Dolan for Shaw Local/Matthew Apgar)

The McHenry Music Festival – formerly known as RISE Up – has changed up its dates for September. Organizers needed to move the planned Thursday night show to Sunday of that weekend to accommodate a well-known act, Mayor Wayne Jett said.

The McHenry City Council on Monday night approved on a unanimous vote the new dates of Friday, Sept. 12 through Sunday, Sept. 14 in Petersen Park.

The McHenry festival’s date adjustment “opens the door to bring an A-list country performer to McHenry – an artist currently headlining major festivals across the U.S,” Jett wrote on the festival’s Facebook page Tuesday.

Due to contractural restrictions for that performer, the artist’s identity cannot be released until mid-July.

“This is one of the biggest names we’ve ever had on our stage,” Jett promised.

McHenry Music Festival tickets already purchased for Thursday will automatically transfer to Sunday, and anyone who needs a refund for Thursday tickets must to so by Monday, May 12.

A limited number of tickets for the new Sunday date are now available at a 20% discount, according to the website, mchenrymusicfest.com, which also lists acts including Sam Hunt, Zach Miller and Slightly Stoopid.

Jett and his wife, Amber Jett, founded the RISE Up Foundation and concert series in 2019. The first show was delayed to 2021 due to COVID-19 restrictions. The foundation’s three festivals since have raised $1.2 million towards projects in McHenry including a splash pad at Fort McHenry, the renovated Miller Point Park, and the recently completed inclusive playground at Veteran’s Park.

McHenry County is also set to see another big-name performer in the area the following weekend. Country musician Luke Bryan’s Farm Tour 2025 is set for Sept. 19 at the Berning Family Farm at 4140 W. Gracy Road in Prairie Grove. More information on that show is available at lukebryan.com.

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