05/31/2026
An Open Letter of Gratitude...
Yesterday was beautiful.
As I sit here trying to find the words, I keep coming back to one feeling...gratitude.
Gratitude for the volunteers who showed up early, stayed late, solved problems, answered questions, carried things, moved things, and somehow still managed to smile.
Gratitude for our sponsors and partners who believed in this vision and invested in something bigger than a single day of music.
Gratitude for the Wilmington Police Department, EMS personnel, city officials, public works teams, and all of the behind-the-scenes professionals who helped create a safe and welcoming environment for thousands of people.
Gratitude for Mother Nature, who gave us the kind of Saturday we can only dream about when planning a festival months in advance.
And gratitude for every single person who came downtown, listened to a new artist, danced in the street, visited a vendor, supported a local business, brought a friend, brought their family, or simply stopped for a moment to be part of something special.
Most of all, thank you to the artists. You are the reason Ladybug exists.
You traveled from near and far. You trusted us with your music, your stories, your vulnerability, your energy, and your talent. You transformed Wilmington into a celebration of creativity, courage, and connection. Every stage, every performance, every note mattered.
To our sound engineers, stage managers, production teams, photographers, videographers, and technical crews...thank you. Festivals are often judged by what people see, but those of us who do this work know that the magic depends on countless people behind the curtain making everything happen.
To our incredible Ladybug team, thank you for carrying this vision forward.
A special thank you to DrDan Young, who poured an immeasurable amount of time, energy, creativity, and heart into this festival. Most people will never fully see the countless hours, late nights, difficult decisions, phone calls, meetings, and problem-solving that happen long before the first artist takes the stage. I do. And I am deeply grateful.
Thank you as well to Nathalie Antonov, whose dedication, organization, and steady presence helped hold so many pieces together throughout this journey.
This work takes a village, and I am continually humbled by the caliber of people who choose to invest their time and talents.
As many of you know, this was our first year leading Ladybug.
While we had approximately 5 MONTHS to prepare, anyone who has ever produced a festival knows there is a world of difference between planning an event and standing in the middle of it as it comes to life.
We learned a tremendous amount over the past five months and throughout festival weekend itself...about what worked, what can be improved, and what this community needs from us moving forward.
We had successes we're incredibly proud of. We encountered challenges we didn't anticipate. We made decisions we'd make again and others we'd approach differently. That's part of taking on something meaningful and growing into it.
What gives me confidence is not that everything was perfect. It's that this community cares deeply about Ladybug, and we care deeply about getting it right.
One thing many people may not realize is that countless hours go into making Ladybug possible long before the first stage goes up. For many of us, including members of the leadership team, this work is largely volunteer-driven and fueled by a genuine belief in the mission.
We do it because we believe music matters.
We do it because representation matters.
We do it because community matters.
And yesterday, standing in the middle of Market Street watching all of you gather together, it felt like proof that all of those things still matter very much.
Thank you for your support, your encouragement, your feedback, your patience, your trust, and your belief in what Ladybug can become.
We are listening. We are learning. We are growing. And we are already thinking about how to make next year even better.
It is an honor to serve as Festival Director of this extraordinary event, and I am excited for what we will build together in the years ahead.
With a very full heart,
Jill Slader-Young
Festival Director, Ladybug Music Festival
❤️🐞🎶
📸 Grateful to Ed Williams of Edwin Williams Photography LLC for sharing this photo with us.
