Mahomet Music Festival returns to the downtown area in late August

By Will Payne

Summer concerts around the country are coming back, and in Mahomet it is no different. The Mahomet Music Festival is returning on August 27-28 this year, with the Village boasting a great venue, popular artists and mouth-watering food.

The concerts are free to attend and will be taking place along Main Street in downtown Mahomet. The live music will be performed on either the Darwyn Boston State Farm Main Stage or the second stage.

On Friday the 27th, Strung Out and Hairbangers Ball will be performing on the Main Stage. Strung Out is an American punk rock band from California that mixes together different musical styles in their music such as progressive rock, heavy metal and melodic punk rock. The Hairbangers Ball is a glam metal tribute band who have traveled the United States covering all of your favorite songs from the 80s.

The three headliners for this year’s festival are Jordan Davis, Tyler Rich and Andrew Ripp. They are all American country singer-songwriters, and will be on the Main Stage on Saturday the 28th. Along with the headliners, Lexi Tieffle, Zakk Tompkins and Brian Murphy will be rocking the second stage on Saturday. 

Although the dates of the festival and performers are locked in, the times they will take the stage are yet to be determined.

Of course any good music festival has to have a great food selection, and with the Mahomet Lion’s Club Beer Garden, a food court and street vendors, options for the whole family will be available. While you are enjoying some food and music, there will be carnival rides, a cornohole tournament and even a parade during the two days in downtown Mahomet.

The official lineup is all set for August, however there were some recent changes made to the planned acts and performers. 

David Parsons, a former police officer for 24 years in Mahomet came up with the idea for the Mahomet Music Festival after his involvement with the Sangamon River Music Festival. In 2021, Parsons decided to bring some new faces to the concerts, opting to go with younger country singers who are just getting on the scene.

“We decided this year we were going to go with somebody younger on his way up, who maybe has some number one hits,” said Parsons. “There were artists available who were fifteen years out of creating their best songs, but we decided to go with something different. 

One of the artists Parsons was targeting for the festival was Hardy, who has exploded onto the country scene recently with his song “One Beer.” Sadly, Hardy opted out of performing at the festival and is going on tour with Jason Aldean. However when one door closes, another door opens and this led Mahomet to book Jordan Davis as one of the headliners.

After retiring from the police force, Parsons had seen the effects the pandemic had on people first hand. And he is glad to create this type of festival where people can kick back, relax and enjoy some great music.

“I saw the mental health issues COVID was bringing,” said Parsons. “I mean people were trapped in, they couldn’t get out and they were restricted where they could go on vacation. So I just think Mahomet needed a big party.”