The Ladybug Garden Crawl returns to Mt. Cuba Center on June 17. Offered for the first time in 2019, this popular event is back this year in partnership with Gable Music Ventures. The Crawl brings performers from The Ladybug Festival, the largest celebration of women in music in America, to the gardens for a music-filled evening. Artists will perform near the lawns and ponds as guests “crawl” from performance to performance while savoring food truck fare and drinks along the way.
Mt. Cuba provides a variety of opportunities for people to connect with nature and native plants. Ladybug Garden Crawl offers a fun, outdoor experience for all ages while also highlighting talented local musicians. Read more about the event below from, Jeremy Hebbel, co-owner of Gable Music Ventures, and find out what guests can expect this year.
Jeremy Hebbel is co-owner of Gable Music Ventures, co-founder of The Ladybug Festival. Jeremy was born and raised in Wilmington, and is a graduate of the Delaware College of Art & Design.
Mt. Cuba Center: The Ladybug Garden Crawl at Mt. Cuba Center brings performers from the Ladybug Festival to our gardens. The Ladybug Festival has an interesting history, can you tell us how the festival got started?
Jeremy Hebbel: The Ladybug Festival started in 2012 as a free alternative to the Firefly Festival. When Firefly was announced we noticed the excitement, and also the disappointment from people that couldn’t afford to attend. We wanted to create something fun, that the community could attend for free the day before Firefly. We opted for an all-female event, and the Ladybug name since it was an alternative to Firefly. It was only after we announced it that Lori Citro, one of the performers, told us it was the Delaware state bug!
Mt. Cuba Center: What makes the Ladybug Festival different from other music festivals in the region?
Jeremy Hebbel: Most music festivals are located in a large field, and feature nationally known artists that require an expensive ticket to attend. Ladybug takes place in Downtown Wilmington and Downtown Milford as a free block party focused on presenting independent local artists. Thanks to sponsorship funds from local businesses like Chase, and ShopRite, we are able to keep the event free to attend. Ladybug is where you will find some of the most exciting up and coming independent talent!
Mt. Cuba Center: Can you share some of the artists that will be at Mt. Cuba Center on June 11? What can guests look forward to?
Jeremy Hebbel: The event is headlined by Hotsy Totsy, an indie pop trio based in Collingswood, NJ. They’re tag line is “High Heels and Harmony” and attendees will be reminded of girl groups from the ’40s, ’50s, and ’60s. Heather Aubrey Lloyd & ilyAIMY (i love you And I Miss You) are coming from Baltimore to perform at the event. The trio has been around for almost two decades and features guitar, cello, and a soulful lead vocalist who plays percussion. Audiences are in for a real treat! Other performers include Nihkee Bleu a soul singer from Wilmington, Olivia Rubini a young pop artist from Wilmington, Minerva a husband wife rock duo from Pennsylvania, and Julia Johnson a violinist who treats listeners to covers of some of their favorite songs.
Mt. Cuba Center: Will there be a Ladybug Festival this year?
Jeremy Hebbel: There will be several smaller Ladybug Festival spinoff events in Wilmington, stay tuned for more details there. At this point it seems likely that the Milford Ladybug Festival will happen in October so fans should be on the look-out for several announcements. Stay up to date by visiting the Ladybug Festival website!
Want to hear all the artists listed above? Join us on June 17 for Ladybug Garden Crawl. Advance ticket purchase is required. Tickets are $15 for adults, $8 for children ages 6-17, and free for children 5 & under. Members are free with advance registration.
* This post previously listed the original date of June 11 for the event. The Ladybug Garden Crawl has been moved to Thursday, June 17 because of forecasted rain.