Every June 21 between 9:00 AM to 10:00 PM.

Any site in the Village of Cross Plains that can be open to the public, including:

Sidewalks: Once you have identified a sidewalk, notify any neighbors or nearby businesses. Then register the site in our system, and, if needed, we will secure the required permits. Maintain a path for pedestrians to use the sidewalk safely.

Community centers & gardens: Organizations that run these sites may list them in our matchmaking system. If a site isn’t listed, ask them to consider signing up to host.

Parks: Make Music Cross Plains makes many of these park sites available to request in our matchmaking system. If you are interested in a park that is not listed in our matchmaking system, e-mail us. When you perform at a park, you are acting as both musician and host. If needed, Make Music Cross Plains will secure the permits, but you will need to provide your own equipment.

Private businesses: Restaurants, coffee shops, retail stores, and others may host music. If your favorite spot isn’t listed, ask them to consider signing up to host.

Private homes: Garages, back yards, front yards, porches, etc.

Hosting can be as simple as providing space on your porch or as complex as renting a stage and sound equipment. The host controls the location, length of performance, and what they are able to provide. Sites must:

1. Be within the Village of Cross Plains

2. Be free and accessible to the public

3. Maintain a clearance on the sidewalk for pedestrian passage

Make Music Cross Plains is open to musicians of all ages, skill levels, and styles. Students, amateurs, first-timers, part-time professionals, and established musicians are all welcome. There is no audition process, all you do is register, match with a venue, show up, and perform!

Create a profile with as much information as possible.

Search for a musician or venue to match with.

When you find a good fit, send a message with a booking request.

Schedule as many shows as you like.

Both host and musician must confirm your show before matchmaking ends.

Stay in touch with your matches as the day approaches.

Email us at cpmakemusicday@gmail.com and we will do our best to find you a site. The village is a stage on Make Music Day, so consider performing in your front yard, or at a local park.

Musicians and hosts will agree to the length of each performance. Stick to your advertised times so the schedule on our website is accurate. 

To be a part of Make Music Day, all performances must be free to the public. Participation at any level (musician, host, or spectator) is voluntary. However, we believe music has value. We encourage hosts to pay musicians or provide them with food/drink/gift cards, when possible. We ask hosts to help the musicians feel appreciated.

Make Music Cross Plains provides the framework. We secure needed permits, manage the matchmaking tool, and publicize the event. Musicians and venues can put out tip buckets, and we encourage spectators to tip.

As many as you’d like. If you perform at multiple sites, allow time for travel & set-up.

Organize a “Mass Appeal” event where several musicians perform a piece together. For instance, a platoon of accordions play the “Beer Barrel Polka”, or a quartet sings Broadway tunes. See our Mass Appeal page for ideas.

Email us what you are looking for, and we can share a call on our social media pages.

We list many of the area parks in our matchmaking system. Others are hosted by community members. Simply send a request to any of these profiles.

If you want to use a park that is not listed, contact us at cpmakemusicday@gmail.com and we can reserve if it for you.

If you perform at a park listed by Make Music Cross Plains, you will self-host. You will need to provide your own equipment and no staff will help you on the day of.

Some village parks are large and can accommodate simultaneous performances. If you request a large park, specify the exact location where you intend to perform in your message. If you use the shelter, we may have another group performing elsewhere if it does not conflict.

We reserve several large park shelters. They will be available on a first-come, first-served basis in the matchmaking system. If you’d like to use a shelter that is not listed, contact us at cpmakemusicday@gmail.com. We ask that large shelters are hosted by organizers who will present several shows, rain or shine.

Make Music Cross Plains is a do-it-yourself event. Each venue will list the equipment and electrical access they have in their profile. Musicians should review this before sending a request and can ask if a location has specific equipment before scheduling.

No, the city is the stage on Make Music Day. Have a venue in mind? Ask that location to host!

There is no rain date. This event happens in 2,000+ communities around the world on June 21, and so will ours. If it rains, shows at an exposed site may move inside or be cancelled. We ask that you open a door/window so the music can be heard outside. Venue hosts should list in their profile what will do in case of rain. Park shelters are great rain or shine locations.

No. All Make Music Cross Plains performances are free and open to the public.

No. All Make Music Cross Plains performances are free and open to the public.

Make Music Cross Plains is a 501(c)3 organization launched in 2025. We are a chapter of the Make Music Alliance, and part of 2000+ cities worldwide who celebrate Make Music Day. 

YES! Explore our volunteer page.

YES! If your company is interested in sponsoring or if you would like to make a donation, please contact us at cpmakemusicday@gmail.com.

The matchmaking system connects musicians & venues. After creating an account, you can search for a matching musician or venue and request a booking. A few tips:

• Stay in touch. You can send messages through the system or connect by phone or email.

• Create a profile with as much detail as possible.

• Don’t be shy! It helps to put yourself out there, so send as many requests as you’d like.

• Respond to requests quickly. If it’s not a good fit, let the other party know so they can move on.

You may want to toggle this off to stop accepting requests if:

• Your schedule is full.

• You’d prefer to have control over who requests shows and don’t want anyone to reach out.

• You have your lineup planned and don’t need any one to request a show.

This limit makes it easier to find the right match. Use the “Other” choice and the description box to override this limitation. If you represent a venue pen to all types of music, use “open to anything.”

After you send a booking request, that entity will receive an email. Both sides need to confirm, modify or decline the opportunity. If you wish to modify, you specify with the other party what you want to change. When you confirm a match it will be sent to Make Music Cross Plains to review. Your desired match will appear on your “Account” page under “My Performances”; note that until all three parties have approved, the match is “pending confirmation”. After approval by the artist, venue, and Make Music Cross Plains, the status will say “confirmed”.

It may take time to find a match. If you don’t see what you want today, check another time. Or, be creative in matchmaking. Venues may contact musicians not already registered in the matchmaking software to ask them to sign up. Likewise, performers may contact venues where they’d like to perform and ask them to sign up as venues. Also, consider that venues can be almost any public place in Cross Plains where people can gather without impeding traffic. The playground down the street, the pet store parking lot, the plaza outside your office building could all be venues.