Windy City Events Management, based in Pilsen, announced on May 20 that it is expanding its lineup of special events in Chicago, including the debut of the Forever Mine Music Festival at Union Park this weekend and the upcoming Michelada Fest scheduled for June 26-28.
The company’s growth highlights a demand for cultural events that are both authentic and locally produced. Windy City Events has evolved from organizing neighborhood street festivals to managing large-scale music festivals and cultural runs that attract thousands of attendees.
Founded in 2023 by Fernando Nieto and Miguel Torres, Windy City Events operates out of a space behind a tech repair shop on 18th Street. Nieto brings creative direction and event production experience while Torres contributes business strategy from his background as a small business owner. “If you gave us an empty room, we were throwing a party in it,” Nieto said. Their collaboration has led to sold-out events such as the Miche 5K and Michelada Fest.
Michelada Fest became one of their most successful projects after featuring popular Latino artists like Prince Royce, Natti Natasha, and Elvis Crespo. The festival’s expansion also benefited local vendors such as Sin TÃtulo CEO IraÃs Elizarraraz, who said: “That was the weekend that we really made a lot in terms of revenue and really got a lot of exposure.” Elizarraraz will participate again at Forever Mine’s debut this year.
Event production challenges have included artist visa issues last year during what organizers described as a “rapidly changing political climate” under the Trump administration. Nieto said: “We did not shy away from what was going on… Our community is under attack, our culture is under attack and we did not want to shy away from that message.” Rising costs have also impacted planning; Torres said: “Everything’s costing more and more.” Despite these hurdles, ticket prices remain relatively accessible according to company founders.
Looking ahead, Windy City Events plans to maintain free or low-cost offerings like Sabor Fest alongside larger productions. This year’s Michelada Fest will include a free community day with optional donations benefiting Casa Norte. The duo also intends to launch a nonprofit arm supporting youth programs focused on sports and arts at local parks where they host events.
Nieto summed up their mission by saying: “When you come and you support us, you truly are supporting a grassroots, 100 percent independent organization… Every person that patronizes any one of our events, it really does mean the world to me.”
