Weekend Getaway: Avrom Farm Party in Wisconsin

Local food gets equal billing with indie bands as a little slice of Chicago travels three hours north for the annual Avrom Farm Party, Aug. 21-23.

The big picture: This three-day fest, founded by Chicagoans Hayden Holbert, Spencer Tweedy and chefs Avery Riel and Lily Moore, was launched in 2018 on land in Green Lake, Wisconsin, that used to host the studio of famed artist Lester Schwarz, Holbert's grandfather.

What they're saying: "Back in 2018, Hayden had just graduated college in sustainable agriculture, and he was kicking off this pasture-based farm there and thinking of ways to bring people out there to learn about it," Tweedy tells Axios.

"So he asked me to help book some bands, and we've been doing it ever since."

The weekend features a dozen bands from Chicago and beyond, optional camping on site, farm-fresh meals, karaoke and dancing in the woods.

Georgia Greenberg, Hayden Holbert, Lily Moore and Spencer Tweedy at the Avrom Farm Party. Photo: Courtesy of Georgia Greenberg

This year's music lineup includes Indigo DeSouza, NNAMDI, Frankie Cosmos, Max Subar, The Slaps, Merce Lemon, and more presenting slacker rock, avant pop, folk and indie rock.

In the early years, "the bands were mostly people we knew in Chicago, but now we're also bringing nationally known artists," says Tweedy, a drummer and son of Lounge Ax owner Sue Miller-Tweedy and Wilco's Jeff Tweedy.

Indigo DeSouza performs at the Newport Folk Festival. Photo: Douglas Mason/Getty Images

The vibe: Warm, welcoming, bucolic and modeled after the quirky Postock Festival in Albany, Wisconsin.

"It's kind of like a camping trip, where people end up eating extremely high-quality food, and seeing bands," he says.

The chow: Lots of local produce and freshly picked corn as well as a pastured pig that gets smoked for 24 hours on site.

"Even though I'm a vegetarian, I've always made an exception for Hayden's meat," he says. "We have people working shifts overnight, smoking it and cooking it to perfection."

The ages: When Axios asked if a Gen-Xer would feel old at the fest, Tweedy laughed and said, "The first four years, my mom would actually come to me and be like, 'Spencer, you guys need more young people here.' But now it's pretty intergenerational."

If you go: Daily tickets and weekend passes range from $75-$125 with an added meal package for $80.

Festgoers can access discounted lodging at hotels nearby.