Vocalo celebrates 15 years of urban alternative joy at its annual Winter Block Party
WBEZ’s sister station at 91.1 FM brought back its marquee event after a brief hiatus with live music, local vendors and a surprise guest.
Vocalo celebrates 15 years of urban alternative joy at its annual Winter Block Party
WBEZ’s sister station at 91.1 FM brought back its marquee event after a brief hiatus with live music, local vendors and a surprise guest.
By Samantha Callender, Manuel MartinezVocalo turned 15 last March, and the urban alternative radio station — WBEZ’s sister station at 91.1 FM — culminated anniversary festivities with the return of its Winter Block Party at Metro and Smartbar on Saturday. The free, all-ages event gave Chicago artists and Vocalo listeners an opportunity to connect and celebrate the city’s vibrant arts and culture scene.
Highlights included performances from local artists. Mamii, who gave the audience a sneak peek of soon-to-be-released music, sang over jazz and R&B inspired-tracks. Rapper Ausar brought his high energy and fast-paced vibe to the party.
This year’s event also featured live sets from some of Chicago’s favorite DJs: DJ Ca$h Era, DJ Intel, DJ All the Way Kay and DJ Charlie. Ayana Contreras, Vocalo’s content director, and Jesse De La Pena, the host and producer of Vocalo’s “5 O’Clock Mix” and the “Friday Night DJ Series,” showcased their disc-jockey skills and treated partygoers to sets as well.
Workshops from Young Chicago Authors, a Chicago nonprofit that teaches literacy and creative writing, included spoken-word performances, poetry readings and writing sessions for kids.
“We listen to Vocalo on the way to school in the mornings so I’m glad this block party had activities to engage the kids. They were so excited to be able to come and party with Vocalo,” said Kayla Atkins, a Vocalo fan who attended with her two children.
Local Chicago artisans also had a presence at the event, including DaeJewels, which sold crystal jewelry, candles and body scrubs, and Windy City Racks, which displayed its upcycled, reimaged and custom-designed newspaper racks.
Jill Hopkins, the former host of Vocalo’s The Morning AMp, surprised longtime fans of the station with an appearance. Joining current Vocalo hosts Nudia Hernandez and Bekoe onstage, Hopkins said, “It’s amazing to be standing here celebrating my Vocalo family with my new family here at Metro.” Hopkins left Vocalo in 2022 to become the new media and civic events producer for Metro.
Here are photos from the daylong event:
Samantha Callender is a digital reporting fellow for WBEZ. Follow her across socials @OnYourCallender. Manuel Martinez is a visual journalist at WBEZ. Follow him @DenverManuel.