Musicians from all over Illinois and Wisconsin are performing at the 12th annual Bitter Jester Music Festival. The artists have competed through the month of June for more than $30,000 in cash and prizes. The Grand Finale Concert is on July 4th.

Festival founder and producer Nicolas DeGrazia says the event provides an excellent platform for musicians to collaborate, network, and attract a fan base. For this Friday’s Weekend Passport, ‘global citizen’ Nari Safavi talks to DeGrazia about how the festival has developed and what it means for local artists.

We also listen to live performances from participants Ben Groth and Caitlin Sweeney.