Does Chicago need a permanent festival site? Here’s what you told us
We asked readers whether Chicago needs a permanent festival site. Here’s what you told us, lightly edited for clarity:
“Northerly Island. The old U.S. Steel South Works site. The old Michael Reese site. Big swaths of empty land on the South and West sides.”
— Michael James
“I love festivals in Grant Park. Why change? Lollapalooza pays upwards of a million dollars a year to fix and improve the park. They do a phenomenal job.”
— Jay Boogy
“No, we don’t need a designated event space. Having festivals in different areas of the city may be a bit of a nuisance for residents, but think of the small neighborhood businesses in the area that probably see a boost in sales in the summer.”
— Cynthia Holden
“Milwaukee’s Summerfest grounds say, ‘Hold my brat.’”
— Scott Bloom
“The Salt Shed is about to expand and add another 15,000-person outdoor venue across the street. They should just sign a contract with the city and become the official festival grounds. They’ll have three venue spaces and plenty of space to mingle between them.”
— Corey Radtke
“Absolutely. That is what they should have done with Northerly Island — three sides of it is water so you would only need to secure the north end.”
— David Bernicky
“Yes. When Riot Fest, held annually in Douglass Park, was damaged by torrential rain and crowd traffic, many RFers suggested Chicago have a dedicated festival grounds like Milwaukee has for Summerfest. Take music fests out of neighborhood parks and put them in a space with direct access to parking, options for public transportation and built for a large number of attendees.”
— Loretta Peterson
“Use the Soldier Field site once the Bears move out.”
— Ty Nelson
“Yes. It costs a lot of money to clean and repair the aftermath of festivals, and these events disturb surrounding neighborhoods and the local wildlife. Plus, public parks should always be available to everyone, not just festival goers.”
— Janice Flynn
“No to one permanent site. As a frequent attendee of festivals in our city, part of the joy attending festivals of all kinds is enjoying the different Chicago neighborhoods and parks. One site will mean all the events become very generic. This would mean less interest and less participation, less revenue and less getting to know all the areas of our great city. We are not Milwaukee, we have many more neighborhoods to enjoy.”
— Amy Hand
