🎪 Festival Rundown June 27 – 29: Honky-Tonks, Beards & Beats
Welcome back to the Festival Rundown, your weekly guide to the music, the moments, and the gear keeping your summer moving.
This week we’re celebrating Pride in Grant Park, trading solos under the Wisconsin pines, throwing boots in Kansas, climbing rocks in Colorado, and basking in the glow of beard-powered jam sessions in New Jersey. Whatever your vibe, late-June is delivering.
🎻 Blue Ox Music Festival 2025
📍 The Pines Music Park, Eau Claire, WI
🗓️ June 26 – 28. Festival gates open: Thursday 3:30pm, Friday and Saturday 10:00am. Campground entrance open: Thursday 7:00am – midnight, Saturday 9:00am – midnight, Saturday 10:00am – 11:00pm
History & Vibe:
Since 2015, Blue Ox has grown from a backyard festival to a major Americana/bluegrass centerpiece in Wisconsin, blending veteran artists with cutting-edge roots acts. Family-friendly yet musically tight, it’s polished but not polished-off.
Lineup Highlights:
Sam Bush Band kicks off the weekend, with Greensky Bluegrass, Warren Haynes Band, Margo Price, Peter Rowan & Sam Grisman, Hurray for the Riff Raff, and Orville Peck leading the mix.
Unique Traditions:
- Morning yoga and songwriting workshops under pine shade
- Disc golf tournaments
- “Soul Sanctuary”: a chill-out zone with art and craft vendors
First-Timer Tip:
Camp ground-side with a Moonmat and bring a poncho for unpredictable Wisconsin weather. Car-camping is top-tier, so grab one of those spots to stay close to the gear and the action.
What Makes It Stand Out:
The only roots fest that doubles as a wellness retreat. Kids, old-school and new-school music all in one giant pine bowl. Perfect if you like a festival that hugs you back at sunrise.
🤠 Country Stampede 2025
📍 Azura Amphitheater, Bonner Springs (Kansas City), KS
🗓️ June 26 – 28. Gates open Thursday 3:30pm, Friday and Saturday 1:30pm
History & Vibe:
From its launch in 1996 at Topeka’s motorsports park, Country Stampede has grown into a midsized festival legend. After moving to Bonner Springs’ Azura Amphitheater in 2024, it continued its blend of chart-topping talent and fan-friendly features with open arms.
Lineup Highlights:
Big names include Luke Bryan (Thursday), Miranda Lambert (Friday), Cole Swindell (Saturday), plus supporting country notables like Walker Hayes, Chris Janson, Riley Green, and Jon Pardi.
Unique Traditions:
- The “Hometown Club”: premium tent area with shade and hookups
- Mechanical bull and axe-throwing contests
- VIP pit experience with private bars and backstage access
First-Timer Tip:
Bring cash for ringside games & vendors, some still go old-school. Also pack sunscreen and a wide-brim hat; this amphitheater’s face is unashamedly sunny.
What Makes It Stand Out:
It’s part honky-tonk, part rodeo, with a loyal Kansas City crowd that knows how to whisky-slide and twirl. It radiates comfort without pretension, and boots are optional but encouraged.
🏜️ Country Jam Colorado 2025
📍 Jam Ranch, Mack, CO
🗓️ June 26 – 28. Gates open at 2:00pm and music runs until about 11:30pm each day. Campground access opens 10:00am on Wednesday and closes at 2:00pm Sunday.
History & Vibe:
Since 1989, Country Jam Colorado has reigned atop the high country. Situated at 4,600 ft altitude near Grand Junction, it’s a scenic mountain-backdrop country bash drenched in sunlight.
Lineup Highlights:
Luke Bryan, Cody Johnson, Bailey Zimmerman take the top-bill. Also expect Flatland Cavalry, Tracy Lawrence, Rodney Atkins, Diamond Rio, Chris Young, Bayker Blankenship, Josh Ross, and more.
Unique Traditions:
- Silent disco gazebo at dusk (out-of-the-box for country)
- On-site Colorado brew stands
- Zipline and rock-climbing add-ons to the camp zone
First-Timer Tip:
Altitude = sunburn risk. Bring SPF50, electrolytes, and consider hiking boots if you’re roaming. Earplugs are wise for night jams & morning bird calls.
What Makes It Stand Out:
Your country stage, literally. With elk in the next pasture and mile-high sunsets. Mountain air = pure festival luxury.
🐎 Hoofbeat Country Fest 2025
📍 Central Wisconsin Ampetheater Grounds, Cadott, WI
🗓️ June 25 – 28. Concert gates open Wednesday 6:00pm – 1:00am, Thursday – Saturday 11:00am – 2:00am. Camping opens early for this one, Sunday (June 22) 10:00am – 6:00pm, Monday – Tuesday noon – 8:00pm, Wednesday 9:00am – duration of festival 24/7.
History & Vibe:
Evolving from the iconic Country Fest (est. 1987), now rebranded to Hoofbeat, this fest spans generations of country fans, especially after a brief pandemic pause in 2020. It’s Midwest’s largest country-friendly camping event with permanent amphitheater upgrades.
Lineup Highlights:
Headliners this year include Brooks & Dunn, Lainey Wilson, and Riley Green. Also around: Chris Young, Gretchen Wilson, Tyler Hubbard, Chad Johnson, Matt Stell, and more.
Unique Traditions:
- “Country Church” gospel hour on Sunday morning
- Big Family campground zone with kids’ inflatables and crafts
- Permanent late-night bar structure, no sketchy pop-ups
First-Timer Tip:
Reserve RV or Family camp early, this fest sells out fast. Don’t sleep on the Sunday service, it’s one of the few church-based events that ends with yee-haws and family sing-alongs.
What Makes It Stand Out:
Less temporary-fence, more small-town country charm. Think tailgates in your pajamas with gospel harmonies and superstar reunion energy.
🧔 Beardfest 2025
📍 Paradise Lake Campground, Hammonton, NJ
🗓️ June 26 – 30. Gates open Thursday 10:00am for general public, 8:00am for V.I.P.
History & Vibe:
Beardfest started as a backyard hang for Papadosio (Jamtronica headliners), and organically blossomed into its own heady multi-day shakeup. It’s quirky, communal, and full of facial hair variety.
Lineup Highlights:
Confirmed: Papadosio, Couch, Out of the Beardspace, among funk and psychedelic sets. Expect improvisational jams and beard-themed activities.
Unique Traditions:
- Beard competitions (yes, really)
- Interactive jam circles and future-sound installations
- On-site farm-to-table meals and artisan vendors
First-Timer Tip:
Bring your own shaker (join the beat circle!), hammock, and an open schedule—this one’s about lingering, listening, and getting weird.
What Makes It Stand Out:
It’s less a festival, more a rural creative retreat. Jam sessions tucked into cornfields, avant-folk going into sunset, they take community seriously here.
🌈 All of Us Chicago Festival 2025
📍 Grant Park, Chicago, IL
🗓️ June 27 – June 28, Gates open at 1:00 with music from 2:00pm – 10:00pm both days.
History & Vibe:
Debuting this year, All of Us Chicago is a brand-new queer dance music festival created for Pride Weekend. A mash-up of Dreambrite, A Club Called Rhonda, and Auris Presents, it brings rave energy to Grant Park in a celebration of LGBTQ+ identity and community unity.
Lineup Highlights:
Headshot acts include Disclosure, James Blake (DJ set), Arca, Channel Tres, Derrick Carter, COBRAH, Jaxx, DJ Holographic, Patrick Mason, and Slayyyter.
Unique Experience:
Grant Park’s scenic lakeside ambience meets full-tilt EDM production. Think sun-drenched daylight sets followed by moonlit euphoria. Look out for thematic art installations and stage mechanics typical of Pride Weekender events (neon, flags, glitter galore).
First-Timer Tip:
It’s an 18+ fest, so plan your stay nearby in River North or South Loop, and ride the L for a seamless commute. Bring a Clutchloop to keep essentials close while you bacchanal between sets.
What Makes It Stand Out:
It’s the first dedicated Pride dance fest in Grant Park, built on the roots of inclusive queer nightlife and professional rave logistics. It flips the script on your typical festival. Landscape, love and liberation all in one place.
🌟 Final Vibes
Late-June ’25 is a rollercoaster of experiences: EDM Pride energy, roots revival, cowboy culture, mountain devotion, family-friendly gospel, and trippy beard-jams. No matter your lane, your fest personality is represented. With a little help from Moonmats, Crowd Compasses, and Clutchloops, you’ll be the best-prepared person in the crowd.
Stay dusty, stay cool, and always fest on, friends.
☮️💚🅱️
