

Sundays on the Square features The Special Consensus June 29! The Special Consensus, nominated for Grammy Awards in 2012 and 2018, is a bluegrass band that has achieved a contemporary sound with traditional roots in five decades of performing. This FREE performance is 5:00 – 7:00 pm CDT, and there’s more … read on!
One of the best things about summer in Woodstock — Sundays on the historic Woodstock Square, Cass & Van Buren Streets, Woodstock, IL 60098.
Five FREE summer concerts to enjoy outdoors on the Square with friends! These FREE concerts are 5-7 pm on the following Sundays:
- June 29 – The Special Consensus**
- July 6 – Small Town
- July 27 – Arranmore
- August 10 – Meg and the Wheelers
- August 24 – Kevin Purcell & The Root Doctors
** Our June 29 concert will be RAIN OR SHINE! If we end up with rain, the alternate site will be Unity Spiritual Center, at 225 W Calhoun St, Woodstock, IL 60098.
Be sure to check for updates on this site. And if you’re not already on our email list, sign up for our monthly emails that keep you up-to-date on all Off Square Music events.
So come on out to enjoy those lazy, crazy days of summer with Sundays on the Square, beginning with Sunday, June 29, 5:00 – 7:00 pm.
Sundays on the Square in 2025 – Food & Hempstock Pharms
In addition to our great lineup of bands playing from 5:00 – 7:00 pm, we have food and other perks for you. For these special Sundays, we have arranged these vendors:
- June 29 – Karajo / Chow Down and CannaBus
- July 6 – Karajo / Chow Down and CannaBus
- July 27 – Sandie Dogs and CannaBus
- August 10 – Karajo / Chow Down and CannaBus
- August 24 – Sandie Dogs and CannaBus
Restaurants on the Square may be open on these evenings and will have carry-out items, but please confirm with specific places. Of course, you can bring your own food items as well!
Hempstock Pharms Products will be there with the CannaBus all five Sundays, selling a variety of cannabis products. Read what they say about their product HERE. And take a look at some of their products HERE.
Sunday Art in the Square

In conjunction with Off Square Music, a group of local artists will be selling their work on the square on each of the Sundays listed above, from 4:00 – 7:00 pm.
While you enjoy listening to some amazing music, you will have the chance to browse and buy some beautiful art! The artists will have functional, sculptural work and so much more in between!
Sponsored by the Clayworkers’ Guild of Illinois and the City of Woodstock.
More About The Special Consensus
The Special Consensus, celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2025, is a bluegrass band that has achieved a contemporary sound with traditional roots in five decades of performing. Band leader and founder Greg Cahill is a recipient of the prestigious Distinguished Achievement Award from the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) and was inducted into the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music in America (SPBGMA) Hall of Greats. The Special Consensus has released 21 band recordings and received seven awards from the IBMA and two Grammy nominations.
The Special Consensus’ sound is grounded in a deep appreciation and understanding of bluegrass music, incorporating both the drive and harmonies of the traditional sound with the more contemporary sounds and repertoire of today. With the foundation of Greg’s unique banjo playing style and the vocal prowess of the 2023 IBMA Male Vocalist of the Year Greg Blake (guitar), Dan Eubanks (bass) and Brian McCarty (mandolin), these musicians effortlessly support each other and consistently maintain their bluegrass center whether they’re playing a jazz-tinged instrumental or a song from any of their award-winning recordings. These four talented vocalists and instrumentalists follow their creative desires without straying too far from their roots.
Rivers and Roads, the band’s 19th recording, was nominated for a 2018 Grammy and was awarded 2018 IBMA Album of the Year. The tune “Squirrel Hunters” from that recording received the Instrumental Recorded Performance of the Year award.
International tours have brought the band to Australia, Canada, Europe, South America, Ireland and the United Kingdom. The band has also appeared on National Public Radio, The Nashville Network, the Grand Ole Opry at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee, and in concert with symphony orchestras nationwide.
Dedicated to preserving their craft as well as keeping it fresh, in 1984, The Special Consensus initiated the Traditional American Music (TAM) Program to introduce bluegrass music to students in schools across the country and in several foreign lands.
The band records for Compass Records and proudly celebrated its 45th anniversary in 2020 with the release of Chicago Barn Dance. This recording also celebrates the long-standing connection of country and bluegrass music with Chicago from the time of the WLS “National Barn Dance” that was a precursor to the Grand Ole Opry. The songs on this recording either relate to Chicago and/or are written by artists who once lived in Chicago. The title song “Chicago Barn Dance” received the 2020 IBMA Song of the Year Award.
Compass Records released Great Blue North, the 21st Special C recording, in May of 2023. The band has been touring in Canada for nearly four decades and this recording was made as a tip of the hat to all the friends and fans made throughout the country over so many years. All songs featured on the recording were written by Canadian writers and numerous Canadian musician friends of the band made guest appearances. The Gordon Lightfoot song “Alberta Bound” received the 2023 IBMA Collaborative Recording of the Year award and the video received the first-ever 2024 IBMA Video of the Year award (tied with Authentic Unlimited).
For more information on each of the band members, visit THIS PAGE.
Here’s a music sample from The Special Consensus to enjoy:
Find out more about The Special Consensus here:
- The website: https://www.specialc.com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/specialconsensus
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/specialconsensus/
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChKqJHBbz_vbvZoaH6S5v0Q
- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1cKp8EUuOryR1PEOAnGWNt?autoplay=true&v=A
- Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/special-consensus/371131496
Donations cheerfully accepted
We appreciate your contributions in support of music in Woodstock. You may contribute to Off Square Music and also to specific performers using the buttons in the left column of most pages on this site.

Brought to you by…
These FREE summer concerts are brought to you by Off Square Music, the Woodstock Opera House, the City of Woodstock, and the Woodstock Hotel/Motel Tax Grants to the Arts — as well as your generous donations. It truly takes a village!
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