Green Music Festival

The West Town Chicago Chamber of Commerce presents the inaugural Green Music Festival this Saturday and Sunday in Eckhart Park, 1330 W. Chicago. The fest runs from noon till 10 PM each day, with solid bills of top-notch indie rock beginning at 2:30 PM. Art Brut (who also play Subterranean on Friday) and Tapes ‘n Tapes headline Saturday, after sets by Say Hi, Maritime, Sybris, Elsinore, and Brilliant Pebbles. Lucero (who also play Subterranean on Saturday) and Murder by Death headline Sunday, after sets by These United States, Catfish Haven, the Saps, the Minneapolis Henrys, and Canasta. The festival also features more than 60 vendors selling green and eco-friendly merchandise; food vendors will use only biodegradable utensils, plates, and containers. Biodiesel generators will meet part of the event’s power needs, and bottled-water vendor Green Planet Bottling will provide bottles made from 100 percent renewable resources. The Active Transportation Alliance will offer free bike-valet service at the festival entrance on Noble, and Verizon will run a drop-off for disused wireless phones and equipment. The Family Fun Fest area hosts a book swap on Saturday from noon to 3 PM as well as a slew of kids’ activities all weekend, including yoga, nature exhibits, a musical petting zoo, green craft tables, storytelling, and science experiments. Admission to the festival is $15 at the gate or $11.50 in advance through ticketweb.com; two-day passes are $25 at the gate, $20 in advance (kids under 12 are free when accompanied by an adult). Admission to the Family Fun Fest is a $5 suggested donation per child (adults are free). Proceeds benefit the West Town Chicago Chamber of Commerce and the Eckhart Park Advisory Council. For more info, call 312-850-9390 or visit greenmusicfestchicago.com. —Kevin Warwick