Chosen Few DJs’ ‘family reunion style’ house music festival returns to Jackson Park on Saturday – Chicago Sun-Times

Lamika Obichere isn’t familiar with the Chosen Few house music festival’s headliners, but she’s excited to come from south suburban Country Club Hills to join Saturday’s celebration. She’s heard great things about it from others and is packing sandwiches to enjoy with a group of family members. 

“I know people that go every year faithfully,” she said. “The house music is what gives it that family vibe. … it just puts everybody in this family reunion mode and mindset.”

House music will return Saturday to Jackson Park for the Chosen Few DJs Picnic and Festival. The annual family reunion-style festival has been celebrating culture, rich musical history and community since 1990. Along with newcomers like Obichere, many attendees come back every year to spend time indulging in good music with folks who share in the joy.

The festival was started by the Chosen Few DJs, a group of South Siders at the forefront of DJing and house music. 

House music, which has seen a mainstream boost from artists like Drake and Beyonce, originated in Chicago and has long been popular among Chicagoans. The style-bending soulful dance music took off in the 1980s with help from the young DJs that became founding members of the Chosen Few DJs. 

These core members — Wayne Williams, Jesse Saunders, Alan King, Tony Hatchett and Andre Hatchett — are house music pioneers and slated to perform Saturday, except Saunders, who was hospitalized in 2022 after suffering a stroke.

Saturday’s 13-hour-long event is predicted to be the largest in its history, with an estimated 40,000 “househeads” coming from around the world.

The picnic’s family and cookout style sets it apart from other festivals. Guests are encouraged to bring their favorite foods, drinks and snacks to dish up while enjoying the array of DJs and guest performers. Grilling, lawn furniture and even tents are welcomed at Jackson Park.

The event will feature local and national talent, as well as some “surprises,” Chosen Few DJ Alan King said.

“There’s surprises every year,” King smiled. “This year will be no exception. Positive surprises, for sure.”

Gospel house music legend BeBe Winans is one of the headliners this year. Planning for the next year’s guests and headliners starts almost as soon as the previous year’s picnic ends, King said.

The original picnic in 1990 sprang from the Hatchett brothers’ idea to use their own family reunion as a get-together for early house music adapters.

“It literally did start as a family reunion,” King remembered. “I think what keeps the event so special is — we’ve grown beyond our wildest proportions, but we’ve managed to maintain that family reunion vibe at the same time.”

King recognizes recent music in the “house music vein,” but he isn’t sure if rising mainstream popularity will impact the event.

“Anything that can expose more people to house music is a great thing,” King said. “We’re definitely feeling that momentum, and we’ll see this year if it’s made any difference in our picnic attendees. It’s definitely a positive thing in my opinion, that it’s bringing more attention and exposing more people — hopefully younger people — to house music.”