Orton Park Festival
to
Orton Park 1103 Spaight St., Madison, Wisconsin 53703
Sam Gehrke
A close-up of Dessa.
Dessa
This summer tradition hosted by the Marquette Neighborhood Association is downsizing a tad to three days this year, but those three days will be packed with music by longtime favorites and artists on the rise. Friday gets the fest rolling with family night performances by Forward! Marching Band and Cycropia Aerial Dance (who return to close Saturday night). Things fire up Saturday with instrumental surf trio The Broken Boards and don’t let up through Sunday closer Dessa; in between the stage welcomes groovy Colombian trio Balthvs, buzzed-about folk-rocker Chance Emerson, punk quartet Sorry Machine…and many more. Find the schedule below and updates at marquette-neighborhood.org.
Friday: Family Night picnic 5:30 p.m., Cycropia Aerial Dance 7:30 p.m. Saturday: Broken Boards 11:45 a.m., Sorry Machine 1:15 p.m., Shakey 2:45 p.m., auction 4 p.m., Balthys 5 p.m., Fantastic Cat 7 p.m., Cycropia 8:30 p.m. Sunday: East High School Jazz Combo 9 a.m., Frisson noon, Chance Emerson 1:30 p.m., Nathan Graham 3 p.m., Ruen Brothers 4:30 p.m., Dessa 6:15 p.m.
media release: Orton Park Festival returns August 23-25. Here’s what’s in store for the 59th OPF…
FAMILY NIGHT, FRIDAY, AUGUST 23
Put your blankets out early! CYCROPIA AERIAL DANCE kicks off the now three-day festival with an early performance on Family Night, Friday, August 23rd. Cycropia goes on at 7:30 pm, following a 5:30 pm picnic with multiple food carts on hand as well as wine and craft beers and Chocolate Shoppe ice cream and a parading performance by the Forward! Marching Band.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 24
BROKEN BOARDS start us off on Saturday at 11:45 am. This guitar based surf/instrumental band made up of Scott Olson on bass, Mark Schumway on drums and Dan Bjerke on guitar was a hit at Waterfront last year, and has been drawing lively crowds wherever they play.
Next up at 1:15 pm is SORRY MACHINE, a power punk quartet out of the Madison area featuring high energy riffs and jazzy chords. We’ve received so many positive word-of-mouth rave reviews about Sorry Machine: “You’ve got to see this band, they're unbelievable!” We just had to book them.
SHAKEY is a Neil Young tribute band that captures the essence of Neil Young's music and style. With their authentic sound and passionate performances, Shakey pays tribute to one of the greatest musicians of our time. Whether you're a die-hard Neil Young fan or just love great music, Shakey is a must-see live experience. Catch them at 2:45 pm.
Stick around near the main stage area after the set is done, because at 4:00 pm the world famous Orton Park Festival Auction begins. Bid high and often--all proceeds benefit great causes in the neighborhood! (Check back later for the complete auction list.)
The music starts up again at 5:00 pm with BALTHVS, an eclectic psychedelic funk trio from Bogotá, Colombia. We’re told Balthvs is sparking a counterculture revolution in their home country, but their sound is not about freaking out, rather flowing and grooving gently amidst the general anger and chaos of the 21st century society. Don’t miss this mesmerizing set.
Saturday’s musical offerings wrap up at 7:00 pm with an engaging set by FANTASTIC CAT, four different songwriters joining forces to form a single band. Hailed by Rolling Stone as "a wildly satisfying collection of folk-rock, country, Americana, and good old rock & roll," their 2022 debut album The Very Best Of Fantastic Cat earned the vocal-trading, instrument-swapping collective their national TV debut, sold-out headline dates around the US and Europe, festival performances everywhere from Sundance to Take Root.
Another magical performance by CYCROPIA follows at 8:30 pm.
SUNDAY, AUGUST 25
The traditional Sunday morning Jazz Brunch returns, bringing back the Madison East High School Jazz Combo to perform in the tent. Enjoy brunch from Barrett’s Bagels as well as treats from neighborhood bakers from 9-11:30 am.
Kicking off the main stage at noon is FRISSON, an emerging Madison-based band blending R&B, jazz, and funk, fronted by singer Naiya Dupaty, and backed by Trayvon Leal (guitar, bass), Scott Williams (drums), and Reece Dowd (guitar, bass).
On the heels of his appearance at Lollapalooza, melodic folk-rocker CHANCE EMERSON makes his Madison debut on our stage at 1:30 pm. Emerson’s raw and honest approach to songwriting has resonated powerfully with listeners: His 2023 album, “Ginkgo,” with lead single “House We Share,” has already surpassed 2,000,000 streams and landed features on Spotify’s prominent ‘Dinner With Friends’ and ‘Next Gen Singer-Songwriter’ playlists.
Born and raised in Chicago, NATHAN GRAHAM meshes South Side Blues with Nashville Americana, beginning his career backing blues singers at famous haunts like Buddy Guy’s Legends and Kingston Mines. Soulful and steady, Graham’s music offers a raw introspective of the human condition that’s both painful and comforting. His guitar conveys heartbreak, lyrics tell stories of regret, but his rich vocal delivery offers the remedy. Catch him at 3:00 pm.
At 4:30 meet the RUEN BROTHERS, Rupert and Henry, who are actually brothers from the Northern England town of Scunthorpe. Rupert is a classically trained guitarist; Henry, a choir-trained tenor with a dynamic four-octave range. Their sound conjures Roy Orbison, Johnny Cash, and music on the radio from a bygone era -- vintage pop with classic country twang.
Singer, rapper, and writer DESSA has made a career of bucking genres and defying expectations—her résumé as a musician includes performances at Lollapalooza and Glastonbury, co-compositions for 100-voice choir, performances with the Minnesota Orchestra, and top-200 entries on the Billboard charts. She contributed to the #1 album The Hamilton Mixtape and the RBG documentary; her track, “Congratulations,” has notched over 20 million streams. We’re excited to bring her here for her first Orton appearance. See her at 6:15 pm.
As always, the weekend will feature a terrific array of local restaurants and area artists, as well as craft beer and wine tents. Face painters, the Bubble Man, BINGO (Saturday and Sunday afternoons) and the world-famous Orton Auction (4 pm Saturday) return as well.
Orton Park Festival is presented by Marquette Neighborhood Association and fuels its many community initiatives.
This event remains free and fabulous thanks to the generous support of these fine folks: Willy Street Co-op, your northside neighbors Paul & Ellen, Lauer Realty Group, Heartland Credit Union, Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream, Elks Lodge 410, Solidarity Realty, Tribe 9 Foods, Pines Bach Attorneys at Law, MGE, Gebhardt Development, Prime Urban Properties, Greenleaf Media and our media partners Isthmus, WORT-FM and WVMO-FM and our many neighbor sponsors. Thank you all!
Knock out your holiday shopping early! Register to vote! Join your local Elks Lodge! All that and more in one stop! There's so much to explore and enjoy in the Orton Park Festival Vendor Village.
Akarim African Enterprise
Bali & Soul
Becky’s Box Tales
Blair Street Gardens
Earth Delights
Elks Lodge 410
Ethical Trading Company
Greenbush Pottery
Inspired Alchemy
Inti Fair Trade
League of Women Voters of Dane County
Lincoln Apparel
Madison Greenhouse Store
Madison Paperbacks
MoonDance WildCraft
My Sister’s Place
Otavalo
SolEscape Healing Arts
SOS Save our Songbirds
Spinning Handiworks
Take Two Bakery
WORT-FM
WVMO-FM
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