Date: October 3-4, 2009
Cost: Free
Organizer: City of Chicago
What to expect: Loads of country music comes to town to settle in at Grant Park.
Why to go: Heavy-hitters Alejandro Escovedo and Joe Ely highlight the stellar Sunday lineup.
The full schedule:
Saturday, October 3
Petrillo Music Shell
6 p.m.: Jamey Johnson
7:30 p.m.: Miranda Lambert
Best Buy Honky Tonk Stage
11 a.m.: The Kimberly Wolff Band
12:30 p.m.: Hazzard County
2 p.m.: Lucky Town
3:30 p.m.: Southern Exposure
5 p.m.: Coy Taylor Band
Americana Stage
noon: The Nashville Wreckers
2 p.m.: Musikanto
4 p.m.: Lee Ann Womack, Bob DiPiero, Dean Dillon, Scotty Emerick
6 p.m.: Or, The Whale
8 p.m.: Joe Pug
Kids' Corral
11 a.m. & 12:15 p.m.: Jeanie B!
1:30 p.m. & 2:45 p.m.: Patti Ecker
4 p.m. & 5:15 p.m.: Little Nashville
Sunday, October 4
Petrillo Music Shell
6 p.m.: The Flatlanders feat. Joe Ely, Jimmie Dale Gilmore & Butch Hancock
7:30 p.m.: John Rich
Best Buy Honky Tonk Stage
11 a.m.: Mark Stary & the Whisky Roses
12:30 p.m.: The August
2 p.m.: The White Saddle Band
3:30 p.m.: Geoff Elvee
5 p.m.: Dan Whitaker & The Shinebenders
Americana Stage
noon: Urban Twang
2 p.m.: Special Consensus
4 p.m.: Tom Schraeder & His Ego
6 p.m.: Colin Gilmore
8 p.m.: Alejandro Escovedo
Kids' Corral
11 a.m. & 12:15 p.m.: Super Stolie
1:30 p.m. & 2:45 p.m.: Chris Fascione
4 p.m. & 5:15 p.m.: Little Nashville
Centerstage Reviewer: Ben Rubenstein