Cops shut down weekend music fest in rural McHenry Co.

A weekend music festival billed to feature more than 50 DJs in McHenry County was shut down before it started because the promoters failed to obtain permits.

About 1,000 people bought tickets to Groovestock, according to police, which was set to be held from June 22 through June 24 in a wooded area near County Line Road and Flat Iron Road in unincorporated Harvard.

One of the promoters of Turn Up the Bass Productions told McHenry County sheriff’s deputies that a relative of the property owners gave the company permission to host a camping trip on the property, according to police. On Friday sheriff’s deputies found the Rockford man directing members of his stage setup crew who were setting up two stages with generators and sound equipment, police said.

Sheriff’s investigators learned the property owners were unaware of the planned festival, and thought that 20 family friends were going to be camping on the property over the weekend, police said.

Tickets for the event were $20 for all three days, or $15 for Saturday night, according to a promotional flyer.

The promoters and crew left the property peacefully, and there were no charges or citations filed, according to police.