by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

For years, the indie music festival identified with Stinson Park in Aksarben Village was the Maha Festival. That fest is moving downtown this year, but another festival hopes to one day take its place in the village.

After three years of being held in organizer Madeline Reddel’s back yard, the Garden Party festival, which features female-fronted bands from around the country, made a giant leap to Sonny’s in Aksarben Village with Stinson Park in its sites. If Saturday’s crowd is any indication, it just might happen. 

Whenever you hold an outdoor festival, you’re rolling the dice, and this Saturday the ol’ bones came up sevens. While a bit hot in the late afternoon, the weather couldn’t have been much better. By 5:30, a respectable crowd already filled Sonny’s picnic tables and had begun to encroach on the green. Former Omahan now-Chicagoan Ione and her guitarist played to the young-ish crowd, many joined by their dogs.

When I returned after dinner, the crowd had ballooned, filling the entire green space. A long line stretched from Sonny’s bar through the partially covered patio, but moved quickly and before long I had one of their rather strong margarita’s in my hand while Keo & Them played on stage. We left again and walked over to Kinkader Brewing Co. for a beer. When we returned for headliner Abby Holliday, the crowd had peaked, but we were still able to find a place to sit down and listen just off stage right.

Sponsor support no doubt powered the festival; one being Sonny’s, which had to have enjoyed a good night’s business; another (I’m told) being Noddle Companies, the village’s primary developer. Smart investment. 

Saying the festival was “chill” would be an understatement. Convenient access, free admission and the ability to come and go as you please made it easy for patrons to enjoy the rest of Aksarben Village (including a jam-packed Inner Rail food court) and still return for more music. 

Hard to guess total attendence, but at its peak maybe a few hundred folks were enjoying the low-key indie music from Sonny’s as well as nearby green spaces and patios. While Garden Party’s talent was impressive, it will take bigger names to justify moving the festival to Stinson Park. Last year’s Grrrrl Camp Festival, held at Falconwood Park, boasted indie darlings Hurray for the Riff Raff, Mannequin Pussy and Indigo De Souza among its talent — arguably the best collection of touring indie artists at any Omaha event last year. And yet, I’m told (at this time) there’s no plans for another Grrrl Camp festival this year. 

Bigger doesn’t always translate to being better, however in Garden Party’s case, there’s plenty of room for the festival to grow…

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Read Tim McMahan’s blog daily at Lazy-i.com — an online music magazine that includes feature interviews, reviews and news. The focus is on the national indie music scene with a special emphasis on the best original bands in the Omaha area. Copyright © 2025 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.