National Women's Music Festival

Vaschelle André
Melanie DeMore
Founded in 1974 at the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana to counter the under-representation of women in the music business, the National Women's Music Festival grew into an annual can't-miss event, which has made its home in Middleton since 2008. Following a pair of virtual events it returns to the Good Neighbor City for four days of concerts, workshops, speakers, film screenings, and more. The lineup includes legends such as Pamela Means and Melanie DeMore, rising artists e nina jay and Hardened & Tempered, comedian Suzanne Westenhoefer and many others. Find tickets and schedules at nwmf.info.
Press release: The National Women's Music Festival is a four-day musical and cultural extravaganza that incorporates all facets of women's lives. It's a jam-packed, long weekend where the SheRocks and Spotlight stages hold concerts, comedy, theater, and orchestral performances, as well as the Drum, Ukulele, and Vocal choruses and the Folk Orchestra. The fabulous marketplace caters to your woman-focused energy with gifts for yourself and others! All day long, you can attend stimulating workshops, watch films and videos, immerse yourself in the writers' or spirituality series of events, participate in the silent and live auctions, and generally have a rousingly good time!
Thursday, June 30 - Workshops and evening SheRocks! stage performances (e nina jay, World on Fire, Hardened and Tempered).
Friday, July 1 - Marketplace, Open Mics, Workshops, featured speakers, Silent Auction, afternoon Spotlight stage (Sistah Ngoma, Nancy Scott with Millie Marlow, Pamela Means), SheRocks stage (Big Bad Gina, SeekHer 7, Kristen Merlin, Kofy Brown Band).
Saturday, July 2 - Marketplace, Open Mics, Workshops, featured speakers, Silent Auction, Live auction, afternoon Spotlight stage (Mimi Fox, Tammy L. Hall, Be Steadwell), SheRocks stage (Nan Washburn and the National Women’s Music Festival Orchestra, Melanie DeMore, Suzanne Westenhoefer), and late-night dancing.
Sunday, July 3 - Marketplace, Drum, Ukulele, and Vocal Choruses, and final performances on the SheRocks stage until 3:00 (Sarah Bush Dance Project, Sandra Valls).