BISHOP HILL, IL — The 2025 Doodle Folk Music Festival will kick off the summer in Bishop Hill, Illinois, on Saturday, May 31, featuring some of the best folk musicians in the state. The festival, which is free and open to the public, will take place in the village park, offering a day filled with music, history, and community. The event is named after Doodle (Jonas Danielson), Bishop Hill’s first folk musician, and a display dedicated to him will be featured in the park’s gazebo.
The festival will begin at 10 a.m. with Peoria’s Barry Cloyd, a talented singer-songwriter with 10 CDs to his name. At 11:30 a.m., Chicago’s Buck Halker will take the stage, performing a set dedicated to American coal miners and their songs from 1890-1960s. The afternoon will continue at 1:30 p.m. with Chris Vallillo from Macomb, known for his mastery of bottleneck slide guitar and his blend of original, traditional, and contemporary songs that tell the story of the Midwest’s history.
At 3 p.m., the Bucktown Americana Music Show will close out the day’s performances. This group offers a mix of bluegrass, folk, Celtic, Americana, and old-time music that is sure to be a crowd-pleaser for folk music enthusiasts.
In addition to the music, P.L. Johnson’s will host a dinner party from 4 to 8 p.m. by reservation only. The menu features dishes such as beef bourguignon, Swedish meatballs, cheese tortellini, and Oskar chicken, with dessert options like pavlova and chocolate lava cake. For reservations, attendees can call 309-927-3885.
This year’s Doodle Folk Music Festival is made possible by funding from the Illinois Arts Council, Illinois Humanities Council, Galesburg Community Foundation, and the Geneseo Foundation. For more information, you can call 309-927-3899 or visit the Bishop Hill Heritage Association website and Facebook page.