ONLINE: Orton in Place

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Luis Armacanqui

Acoplados

The latest in summer cancellations is Madison's oldest music gathering, Orton Park Festival, which has taken place under the oaks in the near-east-side oasis for 55 years. This iteration is a collaboration with WORT-FM 89.9. The station will broadcast and livestream six hours of performances from past years: local acts Acoplados (pictured), Booty Froot, Back to the Country Revue, and the Clyde Stubblefield All Stars; and touring bands Chuck Prophet & the Mission Express and JC Brooks & the Uptown Sound. At ortonparkfestival.com, you can shop from craft and food vendors without delivery fees. Even the auction is taking place, with items from local businesses and artists (PDF list here). In a move to support artists and businesses through the pandemic, the organizers purchased items rather than asking for donations, so you can be sure that your bids support locals. The proceeds will go toward creating a new Marquette Neighborhood Housing Crisis Fund at the Tenant Resource Center. Fans of Cycropia Aerial dance, another Orton tradition, should watch out for an online performance of a new work on Sunday, Aug. 30.

press release: The longest-running outdoor music festival in Madison will be held this year as Orton In Place, a virtual festival that combines a WORT (89.9FM) broadcast event featuring recordings from favorite Orton performances with a website hosting online versions of many of the festival’s highlights. 

On Saturday, August 29, WORT will play six hours of festival performances, including sets by top-notch local acts Acoplados, Booty Froot, Back to the Country Revue, and the Clyde Stubblefield All Stars, as well as touring greats Chuck Prophet & the Mission Express, and JC Brooks & the Uptown Sound.

Listen live here. Here’s the schedule:  

4 pm Acoplados

5 pm Booty Froot 

6 pm Back to the Country Revue

7 pm Chuck Prophet & the Mission Express

8 pm JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound 

9 pm Clyde Stubblefield All Stars

On the festival website, folks can shop online with festival craft vendors and order food from the usual Orton restaurant vendors without delivery fees throughout the festival weekend. Site visitors can also bid on special experiences and unique items through a live online version of the popular Orton Auction, Saturday at 5:30 pm. This year, rather than asking for donations, the Marquette Neighborhood Association purchased items from local businesses and plans to direct all auction proceeds toward a newly-established Marquette Neighborhood Housing Crisis Fund at the Tenant Resource Center. Register by 2 pm Saturday, Aug. 29.

On Sunday, August 30, Cycropia Aerial Dance will share an online performance of new work. Details TBA.

With such a treasured tradition, organizers didn’t want to leave a gap in the festival’s history. They created the virtual event to mark the 55th year of the festival and to give Orton fans a chance to celebrate the event together, while safely apart. Thanks to the continued support of long-time festival sponsors like the Willy Street Co-op and Heartland Credit Union, the Orton Park Festival will be back in full force once it is safe again to celebrate summer together on the east side.