Yesfest Brings Comedy, Music, Art To Elmhurst

ELMHURST, IL — Yesfest, a festival in Elmhurst that provides performances of original music, comedy, improv and poetry, began five years ago when a group of performers wished they had a festival in Elmhurst where they could perform all the things they loved.

“Nothing like that really existed in Elmhurst, so that’s how Yesfest came to be,” Clark Pavlik, co-founder of the festival, said in a release. “The mission was to provide a supportive and fulfilling event for musicians, artists, comedians, and poets in the community. When you get people together and give them a space for them to come and present their art, awesome things happen.”

According to the release, the first Yesfest was held in a park, followed by the second year in a garage. Now in its fifth year, Yesfest has grown into a two-day festival featuring over 60 acts on three different stages. The event is co-presented with the Elmhurst Art Museum and the Elmhurst Public Library.

“The amount of talent in this town is limitless,” Pavlik said in a release. He added that this year submissions had to close earlier than expected because of the overwhelming response.

Yesfest 2017 will be held Friday, July 28, 12-9 p.m. and Saturday, July 29, 12-8 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. Performances are at Elmhurst Art Museum, 150 S. Cottage Hill Ave., Elmhurst; and Elmhurst Public Library, 125 S. Prospect Ave., Elmhurst.

For more information, visit yesfest.weebly.com.

Photo provided by Yesfest.