Three stages of live music at DuPage Community Arts Festival May 28

DuPage County will host its inaugural DuPage Community Arts Festival to highlight the importance of arts in our community.

It will be 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday, May 28, on the north grounds of DuPage County Fairgrounds, 2015 Manchester Road, Wheaton.

There will be three stages providing musical acts, along with food trucks and a beer tent providing refreshments.

Local community artists will be showcasing and selling their work throughout the festival.

• On the Northwestern Medicine Stage, Ralph's World, a family friendly rock 'n' roll experience, will be the opening act at 10 a.m., followed by the Road Show Inc. Show Choir at 11:30 a.m. Chicago Jazz Academy will perform at 12:15 p.m.

At 1:30 p.m., Ralph Covert and The Bad Examples, which recently celebrated the 30th anniversary of their classic album, "Bad Is Beautiful," will be featured.

The Nahui Ollin Aztec Dance, which focuses on traditional Aztec dance and drumming as well as different musical styles from Mexico such as Son, will perform at 2:30 p.m., followed by the African Trio/Senegal Drummers at 4 p.m. The Wheaton cover band Vital Signs will perform at 5 p.m. Orbert Davis Quintet swings onto the stage at 7:30 p.m., followed by headliner Ides of March at 9 p.m.

• On the U.S. Bank Stage, the Silver-Rose Duo, featuring flutist Kim Fleuchaus and guitarist Julie Goldberg, will open at 10 a.m., followed by Wood Bone & Steel, featuring Chicago music masters Bill Brickey, Michael Taylor, Graham Nelson and Gros Pokossi, at 11 a.m.

The DuPage Symphony Orchestra's Woodwind Quintet performs at noon, followed by the Music Institute of Chicago at 1 p.m. The DuPage Symphony's trombone ensemble performs at 2:15 p.m. A duo from Elmhurst Symphony will perform at 3 p.m.

The acclaimed fingerstyle guitarist and harp guitarist Muriel Anderson will perform at 4 p.m.

Old Town School of Folk Music's Jonas Friddle, a singer, songwriter and old-time banjo player, will perform at 5:30 p.m.

• On the beer tent stage, Son Monarcos, a Latin folk fusion ensemble blending soul and jazz with traditional son and cumbia music from Latin America, will perform at noon, followed by the Tim Stop Band at 1:30 p.m. and the DuPage Symphony's jazz quartet at 3 p.m. A Frankie Valli tribute band will perform at 4:45 p.m. Joe Filisko and Eric Noden, a Chicago-based American roots duo, will play at 6 p.m.

There also will a visual performance by artist Lewis Achenbach who mixes live painting and jazz.

DuPage County formed an ad hoc fine arts committee to develop the festival as an opportunity to support local artists, many of whom have been devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Presale tickets are currently available. It is $20, $10 for children, ages 3 to 12, and free for children under the age of 3.

A family pass will be available for $50.

Tickets at the gate will cost $25, $12 for children, ages 3 to 12, and free for children under the age of 3.

A family pass bought at the gate will cost $60.

Funds raised through the festival will be used to support future arts-related efforts. To purchase tickets, or for more information, visit the DuPage County Fair Association website at www.dupagecountyfair.org.