Bitter Jester Mobile Stage Rental for Festivals, Fairs, Concerts, Parties, and Events
Photo by Mark Hersch
Need to rent a mobile stage / portable stage trailer in Illinois or Wisconsin? Contact us today (foundation[at]bitterjester.com)! Our 28’x20’ covered stage is perfect for concerts, art festivals, music festivals, block parties, fundraisers, runs, street fairs, special events / local events / charity events, and more!
And the best part? All rental proceeds directly help support the non-profit Bitter Jester Foundation for the Arts, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization based in IL, and its youth, music, and arts programming!
“Working with the Bitter Jester team has always been exceptional. Their crew is knowledgeable and experienced and they are problem solvers. They always put safety and production quality first for both performers and audience members. I couldn’t ask for a better production experience and highly recommend them!”
History of the Bitter Jester Portable Mobile Stage
2006-2012
For the first seven years of the Bitter Jester Music Festival, our performers played the Grand Finale Concert on an uncovered, hot, aluminum platform in front of a tree.
Up until 2012, our Preliminary Concerts had no budget for lights or sound (performers all had to bring their own), so this seemed like a decent situation.
It was not.
2013-2020
In 2013, the festival began renting a custom-built mobile hydraulic stage trailer for its Grand Finale, replacing the platform you see above. The stage was brand new, having been constructed in 2012, and was owned & operated by a private individual. In 2018 it was sold to a local businessman, who continued renting the stage to Bitter Jester for two more seasons. There were no rentals in 2020 as the festival temporarily switched to a virtual format.
2021
During the pandemic years, the stage had fallen into disrepair. Neglected, practically abandoned, and left to sit unused in a parking lot, it was in bad shape. The Bitter Jester Foundation for the Arts was able to dip into its “rainy day fund” and, on a proverbial rainy day in August, 2021, the Foundation acquired the stage.
Securing this valuable asset for its growing music festival - and ensuring that it remained in the local community, available for other arts events - the stage was given a new lease on life. BJFA replaced old steel with stronger structural steel, hired contractors to perform welding repairs & improvements and replace numerous worn-out or malfunctioning parts with newly fabricated pieces, and added multiple safety enhancements.
2022-23
After two years of steady repair work and numerous upgrades (most of which was donated by professional craftsmen or grant-funded) including a re-built & repaired hydraulic system, all new hard line hydraulic pipes, 100% new electrical wiring, new electrical outlets, new brakes, additional safety & structural enhancements, additional welding, and a lot of TLC, the Bitter Jester Mobile Stage was re-born and ready for rent!
Our portable stage trailer rolled out and saw its first season of event rentals over the Summer and Fall of 2022 during the Bitter Jester Music Festival’s off season. In early 2023, the stage underwent a major upgrade to make the roof a positive action hydraulic system, which significantly cut down the setup / dismantle times. The Bitter Jester Mobile Stage then had a second season of successful rentals in 2023, all in support of our nonprofit arts programming!
2024 (and beyond)
The next phase of renovation will be to replace the original deck with brand new (and more durable) all-weather deck material made from hexa grip birch plywood. After that, general continued upgrading of the electrical systems, installation of all-new low voltage wiring, and additional safety enhancements and redundancies will be added … and we’ll be applying a new coat of paint as well! 😃
