A weekender?
As friends who live for a good party and previously booked Windy Popfest: A Light Breeze, our goal is to unite the Midwest’s twee / indie / pop community for a weekend of music and other revelry.
Leigh Kelsey (She/Her)
Leigh is a cross-coast popkid; born in Tacoma, WA, grew up in Alexandria, VA, and landed in Chicago, where it’s just right. She’s been entrenched in the indie music scene for 25+ years. She’s written zines, interviewed bands, DJed brit/indie pop nights and on WGMU, worked at Now! Music and Fashion (RIP the best record store in the DC area), and booked/hosted music genre-defying event Make-Out Party. In Chicago, she proudly booked the now defunct and previously very haunted music venue, South Union Arts. On nights and weekends since 2005, she’s run her wee craft company, Rhymes with Twee.
Memorable fests attended:
💖 CMJ Music Marathon (2000)
💖 Popfest! New England (2006)
💖 Slumberland Records 20th Anniversary (2010)
💖 Chickfactor: For the Love of Pop (2012)
💖 NYC Popfest (2014)
💖 Glasgow Weekender (2024)
Emily Hilleren (She/Her)
Emily hails originally from the prairies of western North Dakota, which she left immediately after college graduation to immerse herself in the Chicago indie scene. She’s been haunting the city’s small clubs since 2008, with occasional manifestations in zines, storytelling events, and music blogs. While she’s new to planning popfests, Emily has over a decade of experience in large-scale events in higher education, such as commencements, conferences, and fundraising campaigns. One of Emily’s great passions is planning parties and vacations, and she’s excited to bring that energy to Windy Pop Weekender.
Memorable fests attended:
💖 NYC Popfest (2011)
💖 Indietracks (2016)
💖 The last 13 SXSWs