Love on the Lawn Festival: From 500 to 5,000 and Now, a Holiday In Their Honor

If you’ve never been to Love on the Lawn, let me paint the picture: imagine the biggest family reunion you’ve ever been too…now multiply that by Elgin & Chicago level energy, house music basslines, great performances, food that makes you “just one more plate” yourself into a food coma, and a crowd where everyone’s your cousin by the end of the night. That’s the vibe and it’s no accident, it’s by design. 

   Recently,  I sat down (virtually) with the powerhouse organizers & executives of Love On The Lawn Festival, Mike Page,  Marisha Sommerville & Tyrell “Show” Thornton. We talked about growth, community, challenges, and what it takes to pull off one of Illinois’ most beloved summer festivals. 

When asked how the festival has changed behind the scenes from it’s early days, the answer was surprisingly simple: 

                “Our work ethic hasn’t changed since the beginning. We’ve always had a tight-knit team, and we’ve always worked well together. We’ve just gotten closer, stronger, and smarter over time.”  said Marisha Sommerville, Love on the Lawn Executive who manages sponsorship and operations of the festival. 

  The core of the operation has stayed the same: a foundation of collaboration and mutual respect.

   Now let’s dive into the interview and De’code this the D’Hendo way.

                From 500 to 5,000…and Still Growing 

  Year one of the festival brought in about 500 attendees, Now? Try 5,000 and they’re expecting even more this year. The growth has been jaw-dropping, and with it has come the launch of the Mike Page Foundation, pushing the festival’s mission even deeper into community impact. 

   And here’s a kicker, they’re already thinking about expansion to cities like Minneapolis and Atlanta. 

Beyond the Numbers: What Success Really Means

       For them, it’s not just about ticket sales, it’s about execution. 

                    Vice President of the Mike Page Foundation, Tyrell “Show” Thornton, said  “We all have our own lanes, our own responsibilities. Seeing everyone execute, that’s been awesome.”

    He went on to state,  “this is a festival where the lineup is curated from personal relationships. No endless loops through booking agents. We’re calling up the DJs we know personally from the Chicago house scene.”  

   And if you’re wondering, that’s how they’ve landed legendary DJ, DJ Kid Capri, & singer  Bobby Valentino to be on the festival’s lineup. 

    The Community Keeps Them Going

    The Love on the Lawn crew credits the local community, especially the elders, with pushing them to keep going, offering ideas, & showing up year after year.

             Like Marisha said, “ The community looks forward to Love on the Lawn. That’s why we’re already talking about year five.

Five Years Into The Future 

        Marisha & Tyrell were asked what was their five year vision? 

Simply put, max out the festival’s capacity, expand to new cities, and keep spreading that Love on the Lawn energy nationwide. 

What Love on the Lawn Means

     Family, Community, Love. Simply put but exactly how those involved would describe it. On a personal level, it’s their “baby”, Tyrell said “it’s something they built from scratch and nurtured into the powerhouse event it is today. Culturally, they see it as necessary, a space for people of color to gather, celebrate, and show the community what unity looks like.”

  In the words of Marisha, “we are a group of Black, successful people coming back to our community. It’s a good look for people to see that people who look like us can do something like this.”

What They Want You to Walk Away Feeling

    The ultimate goal: That you leave saying, “ I can’t wait for next year!” and that you bring your family along when you come back. 

        A Major Surprise: Love on the Lawn Day

    I got the inside scoop that this year, yes this year! The festival will be honored by the Mayor of Elgin with its very own Love on the Lawn Day Proclamation, making it an official city holiday every Labor Day weekend. They’ve got their own holiday and that’s history!  Love on the Lawn is more than a festival, it’s a movement, a tradition, and now a holiday. If you’ve never been, do yourself a favor…be there this Labor Day weekend. Witness history, 

For sponsorship inquiries: contact@LOTLFEST.com

For tickets: LOTLFest.com 

Love on the Lawn Festival: August 30, 2025 in Elgin, IL