Fireworks. Funnel cake. Ferris wheel. Funk music.
Sioux City's biggest and best music festival, Saturday in the Park features all that and more, and you're going to want to be part of the tens of thousands of people who flock to Grandview Park on the first weekend of July to be a part of the fun! Here's your guide to attending Sioux City's Saturday in the Park Music Festival. * now updated for 2023*
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| Crowd at a previous year of SITP, photo by R.W. |
Saturday in the Park Main Stage
The 2023 Saturday in the Park festival will bring us funk, blues, country, and rock! This year's concert on July 1st, 2023 is headlined by Earth, Wind, and Fire known for classics like September (check them out on their YouTube channel.)
After the concert on Saturday night, Saturday in the Park usually features Sioux City's best Fourth of July fireworks show, beginning sometime between 10:30pm and midnight. (The last performance is always scheduled to be over by about 10pm, but sometimes things run behind schedule by the end of the day due to weather, technical delays, performer health, and/or audience demand for encores. When Aretha Franklin was here it was like midnight before we got fireworks...and totally worth the wait to hear more of her spectacular vocals!) This year, fireworks are scheduled for Saturday, July 1st after the Earth, Wind, and Fire last song.
Oher acts planned for the main stage in 2023 include:
The Abe Stage at Saturday in the Park
The Abe Stage is Saturday in the Park's alternative stage, offering a wider variety of musical genres and a chance to discover new favorite musical artists! The Abe Stage is normally located near the southeast corner of the park by its famous Abraham Lincoln statue, but in 2021 was located near the playground in the north central park of the park, just off Stone Park Boulevard due to water tower construction, and I haven't heard what the planned location is for 2023.
Some of the acts performing on the Abe Stage for 2023 include:
Saturday in the Park Kids Zone
The SITP Kids Zone will be open from noon to 7pm and features inflatables, pony rides, a petting zoo, bungee jump, carnival rides, and a clown, plus crafts and activities from LaunchPad Children's Museum, the Norm Waitt Sr. YMCA, and more!
One new fun option for 2023 is Buff City Soap. Kids can make bath bombs at their booth in the kids zone anytime between noon and 5pm. There was no information on the SITP website about cost for this and some of the activities are free in the kids zone but not all, so I'd bring a few bucks in case it has a small charge.
Food and Drink at Saturday in the Park
Saturday in the Park is also known for its great food trucks and vendors. Some of the announced 2023 vendors include:
- Brightside Cafe and Deli
- Stapleton's Tornado Funnel Cakes
- KLK Concessions
- Leo's Motie Flavor Sno Cones
- Gyros and More
- J & J Old Fashioned Kettle Corn
- Marco's
- The Parthenon
- Smokin R's BBQ
- Made it Myself Shaved Ice
- Burrito Island
- Boki Gelato
- Big Red Taco
- Front Porch Concessions
- The Corndog Company
- Papas Lokas
- Greek 2 Me
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| All smiles with noise-cancelling headphones! |
Visitor Tips for Saturday in the Park
- Street parking is free in the neighborhoods around Grandview Park, but can fill up early, and all usual parking restrictions apply, like don't block fire hydrants, driveways, etc.
- There is also usually a shuttle bus running regularly throughout the festival from the Tyson Events Center to Grandview Park, and there is lots of free, well-lit parking at the Tyson.
- Admission to the festival itself is free, but food, drinks, rides, and anything you buy from vendors in Art Alley are not free, so I recommend bringing a small amount of cash.
- The festival can be very loud, so I recommend noise cancelling headphones for all babies and for any kids (and adults!) sensitive to loud noises.
- Generally, the only toilets at the park that are available to the public during the festival are porta-potties, but the Hy-Vee on Pierce Street may have restrooms open to customers, and many businesses on Hamilton Boulevard have restrooms open to customers.
- Only clear/translucent bags are allowed in the park during the festival. If you don't have one, expect that you may be subject to search or you may be turned away to find a new bag or leave your things in your car.
- No outside food or drink. I checked with the Saturday in the Park organizers however and they said things for babies or toddlers like sippy cups, bottles, and cheerios are fine!
For more information
To find out more about Saturday in the Park on their website, on Twitter, their Facebook page, on YouTube, and on the Abe Stage Facebook page.For more info on the park itself, check out my guide to Sioux City's Grandview Park!
See you at the park!
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