City’s showcase of area talent returns for third year April 9-11
The Elgin Music Festival returns this week with a growing lineup of local and regional acts for its third installment.
Organized by the Elgin Arts Association and in partnership with the city, the festival runs April 9-11 across multiple downtown venues, including park stages, businesses and public spaces. The free, all-ages event kicks off Thursday with an Elgin Independent School District talent spotlight.
“One of the big things about the music festival was really trying to get the tapestry of Elgin and the different groups of people and the styles of music that live here in town,” Festival Director Quinn Walton said.
The Peterson Brothers perform on the main stage during last year’s festival, a consistent crowd puller. Photo by Quinn Walton
The festival began as a grassroots effort, according to organizers, helping boost tourism as a showcase for the city’s diverse arts and music scene. Organizers said they are building on lessons learned from previous years while maintaining the event’s original focus and community draw.
Keeping ease of access up and the price tag off of shows was important for organizers, Walton said. The festival is blending the approaches of its first two years and prioritizing scheduling across both indoor and outdoor stages.
“We want absolutely anyone and everybody who wants to come to be able to experience it,” Walton said. “We’re really focusing on trying to get as many local acts as possible in and trying to make sure as many shows can be done without overlapping each other.”
The director added his team wanted to bring in a couple bigger acts to help draw in attendees and downtown shoppers, but the festival is still focused on local musicians and artists.
“There’s so many people who’ve just moved here and that’s wonderful,” he said. “If we can just pluck a couple of them and show them what amazing stores we have down here.”
The 2026 lineup includes a mix of area talent and Central Texas names, including Malford Milligan, Hard Proof, Superfonicos, Righteous Intonation and Llama Tiva.
Looking ahead, Walton said the festival’s growth will remain intentional and centered around the community that built it.
“It’s all about growing sustainably — making sure we’re listening to our community and our businesses about what they want … really make something that feels like Elgin,” Walton said. “For me, it’s just continuing to make sure that we’re doing right by our town.”
More information on scheduling and volunteer opportunities can be found at elginmusicfestival. com.
“For me, it’s just continuing to make sure that we’re doing right by our town.”
— Quinn Walton, Elgin Music Festival director
Malford Milligan, Superfonicos, Hard Proof, Llama Tiva, Righteous Intonation, Leti Garza, Alicia Adkins and JustHannah are among the many performing Elgin Music Festival acts this week. Schedule details are available at elginmusicfestival.com. Photos by Quinn Walton
Another view of the Peterson Brothers performing on the main stage during last year’s festival.