Ladybug Festival 2017 — Wilmington, DE
An annual event that celebrates women in music
I never knew how out of the loop I was until my good friend was kind enough to invite me to the 6th Annual Ladybug Music Festival this week.
How could I have lived 15 minutes from Lower Market Street (LOMA as it is affectionately referred to), for 17 years, and know nothing about this lovely music festival? I feel so much deprivation right now (dare I say it… The FOMO is very much real).

As the events website states, “the Ladybug Festival is an annual event that celebrates women in music. The event was created in 2012 by Gable Music Ventures as a block party for the residents of the 2nd & Loma neighborhood in downtown Wilmington, Delaware.”


This free-to-attend music festival showcased musical performances — obviously — food trucks, and vendors set up to either network their business or sell you a variety of goods. I supported a couple of local artists and businesses during my time there — their websites are linked to the left!
The entire vibe of the evening felt very intimate and relatively laid-back considering it was a music festival, which I loved. As much as I love events that are free to attend and feature a large number of performances, I still don’t find comfort in large crowds, especially in a downtown setting. This year 74 acts are performing during the two days of the event.

This event is nowhere near being the next Coachella, or even (Delaware’s Very Own) Firefly; I don’t think it wants to be. In fact, the Ladybug Music Festival is an event that was created due to the expensive popularity of the Firefly Festival in Dover, DE.
In the humble neighborhood of Lower Market Street, this festival is one that anyone could enjoy. Children were enjoying themselves, dancing along to some performances and visiting vendor tents. The seating in the courtyard of Delaware Technical Community College was extremely convenient, and not crowded at all. If I’m being honest, this courtyard was essentially our home-base; we just kept returning to the same seats after we were done looking for food or browsing the shops.
It was a very enjoyable time and I’m looking forward to attending this same festival next year.
Please keep a look out for local festivals and events, especially if it allows local artists and businesses to set up shop. Remember to always support your local artists.
Talk soon. ♡
