Country rockers Barbara Wire are joining North Park’s big music festival. (Alternative Strategies)
Music, North Park

Get Your Groove On at the North Park Music Fest

By Frank Sabatini Jr.

The former owner of the now-shuttered Bar Pink in North Park is producing North Park Music Fest 2022 on May 21-22. Now in its 25th year, the event promises to be bigger and better this time around – with live art and interactive experiences augmenting dozens of bands performing on three different stages. (Think circus performers, roaming magicians, and paint-to-music sessions.)

Dang Nguyen spent years booking bands at his beloved Bar Pink before closing it shortly after the pandemic hit. So for the upcoming festival, he is bringing in an eclectic lineup of musical talent covering genres such as blues, indie rock, world music, pop, and more. Among the new and established groups is a fan favorite known as Barbara Wire, which has impressed with their blend of classic rock and country in local Uptown joints such as the Whistle Stop, Seven Grand, Prohibition, and The Rabbit Hole. They will perform at 5 PM, May 21. (A complete two-day band schedule can be found here.)

Attendees will also encounter some upscale food offerings like paella, a cheese bar, and gourmet snow cones, which are uncommon to street festivals. Beer and cocktails will also be sold. In addition, a VIP brunch hosted by Breakfast Republic will be held from 10 AM to noon on the second day of the festival (May 22).

Tickets to the festival and/or brunch range from $20 to $65. Festival proceeds will benefit North Park Main Street, and profits from the brunch will go to the Mid-City Homeless Outreach Program.