Wicker Park Fest brings indie music lineup, activities to Chicago's Milwaukee Avenue

Wicker Park Fest livened up the weekend in Chicago with an indie music lineup of more than 50 artists.

Tens of thousands of people were expected to visit the three-day festival on Milwaukee Avenue from Division Street northwest to the famous six-way intersection with Damen and North avenues.

Headliners this year included The Frights, a California surf punk band who stopped at the festival as part of their You Are Going to Hate This tour; Grammy Award-winning R&B star Devon Gilfillian; Connecticut indie rock band Ovlov; Chicago local country and heartland rock act Garry Princeton & the Flyover Country; U.P. of Michigan indie power pop Liquid Mike; the Shannon Shaw Band, fronted by powerhouse California singer and bass player Shannon Shaw — also of Shannon & the Clams; and Americana act Ryan Davis & the Roadhouse Band.

Young performers from the School of Rock were also on the roster.

The festival also featured a Pet Fest with live activities such as an ice cream-eating contest and puppy snuggles, a Kids Fest with crafts and a bouncy house, a vintage fashion show put on by local shops, and more than 150 local and small business vendors in all.

Food vendors, food trucks, and retailers all took part.

The festival was set to run until 6 p.m. Sunday. A $10 donation was suggested at the gate.

For those looking for an indoor respite, Myopic Books was open during Wicker Park Fest. However, the bookstore has not been buying books from the public this weekend with the festival in action, and will resume buying books during regular hours on Friday, July 31.

Wicker Park Fest launched in 2004, and became known as an incubator for emerging musical talent — with performers having advanced to A-list festivals such as Lollapalooza, Pitchfork, and Coachella.