The 2016 Homegrown Music Festival, Duluth’s annual 200ish-band showcase, runs May 1-8. The official schedule has been released, so it’s time to begin charting the adventure. The Chicken App, PDD’s smart-phone optimized version of the lineup, is also available.

This year’s schedule follows the same basic format as previous Homegrowns — opening ceremonies and new band showcase on Sunday, video festival and poetry showcase on Monday, Canal Park focus on Tuesday, western Duluth on Wednesday, Superior on Thursday, buttload o’ bands in Downtown Duluth on Friday and Saturday, and a few brunch shows on the final Sunday.

The two biggest weekday shows are again at Grandma’s Sports Garden and Clyde Iron Works. The Sports Garden lineup includes A Band Called Truman, Mary Bue & the Holy Bones, Space Carpet and the Social Disaster. Clyde will feature Teague Alexy and Friends, Low and Red Mountain.

Three old favorites playing Saturday night: The Little Black Books (Mark Lindquist solo), Father Hennepin and the Black-eyed Snakes.

Three of the more significant acts not playing this year: Trampled by Turtles, Southwire and Sarah Krueger.

The Homegrown Iron Range Invasion will be April 1 and the Twin Cities Invasion will be April 17. The Homegrown Field Guide, a 100-page magazine with all the festival minutia, is still a few weeks away from landing in piles at local merchants.

Available now for free download on Bandcamp is the latest Homegrown mix, 149.4 megabytes of local rawk and/or roll selected by Jason Wussow. When you follow the link to Bandcamp you’ll see all the previous Homegrown compilations are available as well. You must “name your price,” and $0 is completely acceptable. If you are feeling philanthropic, however, the chicken appreciates your support.