For a city that loves its festivals, standing out among the many options isn’t a must. After all, we’re blissfully conditioned to point ourselves toward the neighborhood hosting something that particular weekend so we can enjoy the music, the food, the vendors and all the usual trappings.
Still, there’s something to be said for unusual aspects, and this Saturday’s event has plenty to say in that regard. Yes, it’s Center Street Daze, with its many unique touches that make it unlike any of the festivals we’ve enjoyed so far this summer.
Taking place from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on the titular Center Street between Holton and Humboldt, the 2026 edition of the Riverwest gathering will once again get off to a fast start (or at least a creative one) with the Art Cart Race at noon. After that, there’s the mannequin fashion show competition at forMartha (825 E. Center St.) and — returning for the second year — the Museum of Ambiguous Objects at Style Machine (514 E. Center St.).
On the slightly more conventional side, there’s a classic car show that’s scheduled to open at 1:30 p.m., art activities at Jazz Gallery Center for the Arts, plenty of vendors on hand and of course the music happening at seven different locations. From DJs to punk to “hard folk” to several different flavors of jazz, the tunes start at 1 p.m. and actually go past the festival’s official closing time, with Bar Centro hosting Big Style Brass Band inside its space at 804 E. Center St.
You can check out the full entertainment lineup below and get more information on the Center Street Daze Festival website.
Center Street Daze Festival schedule
Club Timbuktu
- 1-5 p.m. — Headway DJs
- 5-6 p.m. — Kabilo
- 6-7 p.m. — Tony TNT Washington & His Explosive Divas
Jazz Gallery Center for the Arts
- 1 p.m. — Los Mitoteros
- 3 p.m. — Andrew Trim Trio
- 5 p.m. —Group of the Altos
Quarter’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Palace
- 1 p.m. — Aluminum Knot Eye
- 1:40 p.m. — Fundamentals
- 2:25 p.m. — Irish Sunglasses
- 3:10 p.m. — Billy Dreamer
- 3:55 p.m. — Peach Vomit
- 4:40 p.m. — Sludge Hawking
- 5:25 p.m. — Panic on Panic
- 6:10 p.m. — Oh My God
Uptowner
- 1 p.m. — Jake Orvis
- 2 p.m. — Thyone
- 3 p.m. — Whiskey & the Devil
- 4 p.m. — DJ Charlie Hustle & Friends
- 5 p.m. — Noah Strothers’ & The Open Mic All Stars
- 6 p.m. — Passion Park Experience feat. Lake
Bar Centro
- 7 p.m. — Big Style Brass Band
High Dive
- Nesh
- Andy Noble
- David Arnevik
- Brian Small
- TJK
- Angelus
- Vic Dagger
Diaspora
- 12:45 p.m. — DJ L-Boogie
- 2:30 p.m. — LJ the Drummer
- 3:45 p.m. — Troy Tyler
- 5 p.m. — DJ Xtra Large w/CooCoo Cal
