The Wayzata City Council approved a special event permit for two concerts as part of James J. Hill Days 2026, restoring a major live-music component many viewed as one of the festival’s signature attractions.
The concerts are planned for Sept. 11 and 12, 2026, in conjunction with James J. Hill Days, with promoter Rick Born and RB Productions proposing two ticketed shows at the Boatworks property. City staff said the event is expected to draw about 2,500 attendees each night and recommended approval with conditions related to security, crowd management, marina and beach access, parking, public safety staffing and noise mitigation.
The approval comes a year after the council denied a similar WAAM Fest proposal for 2025, a decision that reopened broader questions about noise, timing, format and what kind of entertainment belongs within Wayzata’s signature community festival.
Without the concert last year, James J. Hill Days still brought crowds downtown — but to many, the festival felt like it was missing its capstone event. The headlining concerts had the potential to serve as the crown jewel or pinnacle of the weekend, particularly for older teens, young adults and others looking for a marquee nighttime draw tied directly to the celebration.
This year, council’s discussion was less about whether live music belongs as part of James J. Hill Days and more about the conditions under which it should return.
City Manager Aurora Yager told council that staff supported the permit application but recommended a 10:30 p.m. music cutoff. She said the applicant had requested an 11 p.m. permitted end time, while staff’s recommendation reflected complaints tied to recent concerts. Yager noted that previous events had been permitted until 11 p.m. with the understanding that music would generally end around 10:30, but said complaints from 2023 and 2024 led staff to recommend a firmer end time for music this year.
Born told council the request for an 11 p.m. permit was not about routinely pushing the concert later, but about providing flexibility if weather or technical issues delayed the start. He said the intended target remains a 10:30 p.m. finish, adding that “10.35 is probably the average.”
He also explained that the extra time matters financially for an outdoor event. If weather interrupts a show and a headliner cannot perform long enough to satisfy ticket holders, he said, the promoter may still have to pay the artist while also refunding the crowd. “If a headliner artist, that’s what we pay all the money to,” Born said. “And it can be three, four or $500,000.”
One notable part of the discussion involved the kind of lineup Born hopes to bring in this year.
Rather than committing to two nights of the same genre, Born said he is trying to book two different genres of music. “I’d like to have a 1 and 1,” he said, explaining that different music styles attract different audiences. He said that would be his preference, while also noting that booking flexibility remains important as plans come together.
That point addressed one of the lingering tensions from last year’s debate, when the proposed Electronic Dance Music format became part of the council conversation and, for some, part of the controversy.
Several of the same undercurrents remained present this time. Some council members emphasized Born’s long track record in Wayzata and expressed comfort in giving him room to operate, pointing to his experience producing large events and his willingness to adjust based on prior feedback. Others remained cautious about the possibility of repeating two nights of back-to-back EDM-style programming, citing the amount of negative reaction that followed earlier events.
Still, the broader result was clear: the concerts are back as part of James J. Hill Days.
That matters because large-scale live music has long been part of the festival’s identity and its after-dark energy. Last year’s absence made that easier to see. For many attendees, James J. Hill Days without a major concert felt incomplete — a successful community festival, yes, but one missing the big finish.
This year’s approval restores that piece of the weekend while also showing that council is still trying to balance two priorities at once: preserving a major entertainment draw for one of Wayzata’s biggest annual celebrations, while setting conditions that reflect neighborhood concerns and lessons from prior years.
Born also told council that a two-night format is important economically because of the cost of staging an event of this scale. Infrastructure such as fencing, sound, lighting, security and portable restrooms is expensive, he said, and far harder to justify for a one-night-only event.
Several council members said they remained mindful of the noise complaints that followed earlier concerts and acknowledged concern about again fielding calls from residents if sound levels became a problem. Even so, the council ultimately voted 5-0 to approve the permit and bring the concerts back as part of James J. Hill Days 2026.
