Middle-of-nowhere festivals can be real gems, and the first annual Middlewest Fest is doing what it can to get on the map. The two-day, twelve-show event in DeKalb, Illinois is ready to rock the state’s northwestern cornfields with Russian Circles and Born of Osiris recently added to its lineup.
The fest will make its debut on September 10 and 11, featuring a bevy of artists and ALARM favorites such as P.O.S. and William Elliot Whitmore. Other notable performers include Smoking Popes, Murder by Death, Maps & Atlases, Mark Rose (ex-Spitalfield), and more.
Held in downtown DeKalb, the festival features a block-party structure, employing local theaters, nightclubs, bars, and shops as music venues. With a focus on variety, Middlewest is non-genre-specific, merging local and popular artists in a setting dedicated to the promotion of the local music and art communities.
To promote this interest, the festival will feature Against the Wall, an independent film festival featuring comedy, drama, experimental, and documentary mini-features by 15 Midwestern and NIU student filmmakers, as well as a local arts and crafts market on September 10.
Single show tickets ($10-15) and single ($20) or two-day ($30) “mega-tickets” can be purchased through the venues’ box offices.
For the detailed schedule of events, visit middlewestfest.com.