Max Happy Fest organizers are planning for their day-long street festival in Woodstock Saturday, featuring local music and art while benefitting the community’s must vulnerable – and stocking the shelves at their new depot.

This, the sixth year of the fest organized by Warp Corps, will be held from noon to 11 p.m. Saturday at Benton and Judd streets. The free event – with a suggested donation of $10 – will offer food tents and 10 bands on two stages. Organizers are raffling off a rare bottle of Pappy Van Winkle bourbon.

Because the fest is supported by sponsors and donations, 100% of the money goes to Warp Corps clients, organizers said.

“Warp Corps served over 900 unique clients in McHenry County in 2025 between our Youth & Street Outreach Programming,” Clay Mutert, head of business operations at Warp Corps, said. “All of our programming is free to our clients in large part because of donations made at events like this.”

Warp Corps is a community-based nonprofit that works to prevent suicide, substance use disorder and housing insecurity. The fest is Warp Corps’ annual event of music, art, and action sports, including an all-age skateboard contest.

It’s intended to “create connection and strengthen community support,” Rob Mutert, owner and founder of Warp Corps, said. The fest, which has grown from 200 attendees in its first year to 2,000 last year, is hosted in partnership with Liquid Blues.

“Max Happy Fest is a very important component to communicating to our community the service we provide and the work we do to make McHenry County better,” he said. “This year’s event is more important than any previous years due to significant grant funding reductions for 2026, but the work we do for the people in need continues to grow.”

Fest proceeds will help Warp Corps buy supplies needed by unhoused and low-income people, like bottled water, nonperishable foods, hygiene products, furniture, camping gear, as well as shoes and boots. Donations of items will be accepted during the event at Warp Corps, located near the fest at 114 North Benton Street.

In January, Warp Corps relocated its depot – where Rob Mutert has said people shop with dignity while everything is free from the Woodstock train depot – to a property at 722 East Calhoun Street Unit 1A. Walk-ins are welcome from noon to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday; however, calling ahead is recommended.

Bobby Gattone, owner of Integrity Alliance Grants Consulting, owns the property and is renting a lower level office space to Warp Corps at a discount. Gattone, former executive director of New Directions and Consumer Credit Counseling, said the property is zoned commercial, with a special use allowing tenants to live upstairs. He is donating some of the rent back to Warp Corps for the next few months to help with their efforts, he said.

Gattone said Max Happy Fest is “a great event.”

“They do a great job of bringing nonprofits and social services together and getting the word out about services available but making it really fun,” he said, adding they have great food and bands too.

This year’s lineup includes headliner Mr. Blotto, a Chicago jam band that plays a blend of hard rock, original rock, southern rock, folk music and country rock, and has ties to McHenry County.

The band was formed 35 years ago by brothers Paul and Mike Bolger, who lived in Harvard during their early childhoods, Paul Bolger said.

“I have great memories” of those early years, including attending Harvard Milk Days and sledding at Veteran Acres Park in Crystal Lake, he said.

Bolger, whose grandparents lived in Crystal Lake, said he enjoys playing the Max Happy Fest and especially appreciates its location being where the movie “Groundhog Day” was filmed. He said he enjoys being part of what is one of the biggest events held in the city and its purpose.

Playing at noon is Yhprum which includes Rob Napholz and Will Orlyk, musicians who were among the first members of The BREAK Teen center in Crystal Lake.

The BREAK founder, Brenda Napholz, said the pair are “modeling the way for our current BREAK members as good examples of how you can be involved in music and still stay safe.”

Information about the festival and Warp Corps services is available at WarpCorps.org. To set up an appointment at the depot, call Jon Durden at 815-206-8449.