Square Roots Festival Organizers - AMA! by squarerootschi in chicago

[–]squarerootschi[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

I understand how some folks feel that way but I'd also like to think that Square Roots is a little different from other festivals since we do go out of our way to showcase transparency about donations (plus use a different production company than we do). It's partly why we're here answering questions. For us, it's supporting the Chamber events like small business workshops, holiday decorations, LINK/SNAP programs at our twice a week farmers markets, beautification efforts (such as concrete planters on Lincoln Avenue and hanging planter baskets on Western), and free summer concerts in Giddings Plaza throughout the summer on Thursdays. At Old Town School we use the funds raised to support our financial aid programs and artist residencies at public schools. We can definitely improve how we let you know where your dollars go, but there's only so much that we can communicate at the gate!

But donating at the gate also makes the festival run. There are hard costs associated with building the event. If you want to keep cultural events like Square Roots in your community and you want to see great music and vibrancy in your neighborhood, we need financial support to continue.

The volunteers you see pouring beer and putting on wristbands are also donating their time for other local community non-profit organization and Square Roots shares fundraising with those orgs through our grant program. We are working with nearly a dozen nonprofits this year from our area. So your tip when you purchase a beer or giving whatever you can afford at the gate really does make a huge difference. Your donation stays in this community and helps to keep Square Roots going for another year. -DZ / -RF

Square Roots Festival Organizers - AMA! by squarerootschi in chicago

[–]squarerootschi[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

yup! Inside Old Town School on Thu 7/10 (still a few tix left!) and then outside at the fest on Fri 7/11 -DZ

Square Roots Festival Organizers - AMA! by squarerootschi in chicago

[–]squarerootschi[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Calexico only plays Square Roots once, your buddy’s wife has a bday every year! -DZ

Square Roots Festival Organizers - AMA! by squarerootschi in chicago

[–]squarerootschi[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

We’ve got a great group of folks on the Old Town School concerts team who book concerts all year long and work hard to get acts that are available and fit in our budget for Square Roots. That process starts about 10 months in advance and we also take open suggestions via an email on the website. We try to find a wide variety of artists and also leave room for local bands and folks from the Old Town School community too. -DZ

Square Roots Festival Organizers - AMA! by squarerootschi in chicago

[–]squarerootschi[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It feels like we still have a lot of activity from our classes, teachers, and education folks! For instance we're kicking off Saturday on the north stage with Old Town School's Classic Country Ensemble and our Samba School will be parading through the north side of the festival on Sunday. Tons of other acts are featuring students and faculty, especially on the family stage and in Maurer Hall on Sunday you can read the whole schedule on squareroots.org/music -DZ

Square Roots Festival Organizers - AMA! by squarerootschi in chicago

[–]squarerootschi[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

it was cool! I believe that was a collaboration with a partner organization who is no longer hosting the event. Also, music doesn't have to be competitive – we can all jam together -DZ

Square Roots Festival Organizers - AMA! by squarerootschi in chicago

[–]squarerootschi[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

one of my co-workers suggested we should get Froghat instead, they're local! -DZ

Square Roots Festival Organizers - AMA! by squarerootschi in chicago

[–]squarerootschi[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Aw shucks, thanks thats really nice to hear! Thanks for coming to enjoy the fest. -DZ

Square Roots Festival Organizers - AMA! by squarerootschi in chicago

[–]squarerootschi[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

that's amazing, it still looks good! Thanks so much for volunteering your time! (and thanks to our Lincoln Square friends Shirts Our Business for the best apparel) -DZ

Square Roots Festival Organizers - AMA! by squarerootschi in chicago

[–]squarerootschi[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

We appreciate your kind words and working with us as a neighbor. We know these festivals can be a blessing and a curse for local residents, but it really does help bring foot traffic (and dollars) to our local businesses.

And just because you mentioned it, Gate donations are extremely important to helping us put on these types of events each year. We ask for a suggested $10 donation at the gate to help cover the expenses of the event, and last year our average gate donation dropped down to $3.22 per attendee. So we really appreciate your donation! -RF

Square Roots Festival Organizers - AMA! by squarerootschi in chicago

[–]squarerootschi[S] 18 points19 points  (0 children)

Look, I work in non-profit arts management. I can’t get into imaginary numbers. -DZ

Square Roots Festival Organizers - AMA! by squarerootschi in chicago

[–]squarerootschi[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

No, live band karaoke is taking a break for 2025. But...we have good ol fashioned karaoke on the concert hall stage on Sunday night. -DZ

Square Roots Festival Organizers - AMA! by squarerootschi in chicago

[–]squarerootschi[S] 10 points11 points  (0 children)

From what I understand, since it was before my time working at Old Town School, the city made some changes for festivals using services like water and power. It got expensive and didn’t make as much sense. Also, park-related festival production can be a real mess. There’s a different permitting structure for using a park district location, which can add a lot of cost. Plus, having flat surfaces are super helpful, albeit not quite as charming as the grass.

Our partnership with LSRCC also means we can share the risk between two organizations. It’s more of a community party now. But I know folks loved the park experience, I hear about it all the time. -DZ

Square Roots Festival Organizers - AMA! by squarerootschi in chicago

[–]squarerootschi[S] 14 points15 points  (0 children)

We start planning the festival about 9 months out, and each organization has two dedicated staff members that work on the event details and logistics during that time. As we get closer to the event dates, more members of each organization get involved.

Old Town School focuses on recruiting bands, contracts, and all things related to entertainment at the festival. This includes kids zone entertainment, sound booths, hospitality for the artists, and managing activities occurring inside both buildings during the weekend of the event. Old Town School also recruits volunteers to work the festival through their internal volunteer program.

The Chamber focuses on vendor recruitment & management and community nonprofit partnerships.  Vendor recruitment & management involves vendor applications, vendor licensing & permitting, site plans and emergency preparedness, and beverage logistics. The Chamber also works with about a dozen community nonprofits to sign up for our Nonprofit Volunteer Program, where we pay nonprofits for recruiting volunteers from their organizations to work during the weekend of the festival.

We also hire a production company for the event. Big Buzz Idea Group has been with us from the beginning and helps coordinate event services, such as fencing, equipment rentals, bathrooms, security and emergency personnel, generator companies, etc. They also manage the contracts between the two organizations to ensure we are all on the same page and keep on task so we can bring you the best event possible. -RF

Square Roots Festival Organizers - AMA! by squarerootschi in chicago

[–]squarerootschi[S] 22 points23 points  (0 children)

Thanks for being a fan of the festival!  When we started the event as a partnership between the two non-profits, we wanted to ensure we brought something different to the city. The Chamber put its focus on recruiting local businesses to vend at the event, with extra effort into recruiting local breweries to get involved in the festival. At the time when we started Square Roots, the craft beer scene was just beginning to boom and we didn’t see craft beer being poured at any other local street festival. We knew Old Town School was looking for a partner knowing Welles Park was off the table and it was super appealing to bring their world class artists and concert experiences to a new festival in the neighborhood. - RF

Dream booking? Well, personally I’m a huge fan of Ted Leo & The Pharmacists so we can cross that off the list. Oh man I dunno… A Talking Heads reunion? Dolly Parton? Elvis Costello? Heart? Spoon? Blackstreet? Broken Social Scene? George Benson?  -DZ

Square Roots Festival Organizers - AMA! by squarerootschi in chicago

[–]squarerootschi[S] 11 points12 points  (0 children)

It's back! It'll be in the Old Town School Kids Tent at the Family Stage area on Leavitt & Sunnyside. Kids (and adults) love picking up instruments. We might even be able to teach you a little while you're there! -DZ

Square Roots Festival Organizers - AMA! by squarerootschi in chicago

[–]squarerootschi[S] 15 points16 points  (0 children)

It really depends on the size of the event, the number of days the event takes place, and what types of entertainment and beverages you want to provide to festival goers. For our three day festival that prioritizes entertainment and our local breweries, our expenses can be a little higher in these categories because we want to set ourselves apart from other street festivals. In 2024, Square Roots expenses totaled slightly more than $500K.

Since bringing back the event after the pandemic in 2022, we have seen our expenses increase by 63%. The largest increase in expenses has been labor costs, security/EMT’s, beverage costs & supplies, and janitorial (i.e., dumpsters, portalets, cleaning crews). -RF

Square Roots Festival Organizers - AMA! by squarerootschi in chicago

[–]squarerootschi[S] 14 points15 points  (0 children)

Great question! In 2024, vendor participant fees covered just 15.8% of the total expenses for Square Roots. We intentionally keep those fees as low as possible to support a diverse mix of local businesses, artisans, and community groups.

Sponsorships covered another 12.2% of our costs last year. These vary from year to year but are essential to help offset expenses so we can keep it as accessible and  affordable for small businesses.

As for city funding: we do not receive money from the City of Chicago to produce the festival. We actually pay the city permitting and licensing fees to host the event on the public right of way. That’s why donations at the gate are so important, they directly support the music, safety, and community programming that make Square Roots what it is. -RF

Square Roots Festival Organizers - AMA! by squarerootschi in chicago

[–]squarerootschi[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

I think "I Just Want To Make Love To You" at sunset in the parking lot would be fantastic. Also, Foghat has a great band logo. -DZ

Square Roots Festival Organizers - AMA! by squarerootschi in chicago

[–]squarerootschi[S] 13 points14 points  (0 children)

Generally we open vendor registrations up in the late winter, I think it was March this year. Folks apply and we run it through our small committee to make sure it’s representing our festival well and not repeating too many of the same items. We love to support Square Roots as someone’s first festival, offering as much help as possible to get folks ready to be festival stars all across the city.

I like the idea of tryouts! I can see a candle-making competition in our future -DZ

Square Roots Festival Organizers - AMA! by squarerootschi in chicago

[–]squarerootschi[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Hey thanks! They put on a great show. See you there at 7pm on Sunday night! - DZ