The decision by Riot Fest organizers to return the event to the city of Chicago just two months after announcing the 2024 festival would take place in Bridgeview stunned fans and residents, with city officials hailing it as a big victory for the local economy.
The announcement came just one month prior to the start of the festival on Sept. 20, with Fall Out Boy and NOFX among the headlining acts.
Annie Brawley, who has attended Riot Fest several times at Douglass Park in the past, is thrilled it’s returning to a place she feels it belongs, but that it’s coming at a price.
“I'm excited about (it) don't get me wrong, but it's just so last minute so now all the hotel prices are sky rocketing,” she said.
Originally, she planned to stay in the Loop for the festival, and then shelled out an extra $225 on finding a hotel room closer to the venue in suburban Bridgeview. That’s on top of the cost of her VIP tickets.
It’s frustrating she says, but well worth the cost for a festival she looks forward to every year.
“I think Riot Fest gets kind of a bad name sometimes,” she says. “But all the years that I go there the community loves having us there we love being there.”
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Chicago Ald. Monique Scott expressed disappointment earlier this year when Riot Fest announced it was moving, but is thrilled it’s back in her ward.
"When you find something that's going to add tourism to my community, jobs, economic impact, I'm going to rush to aid to that,” Scott said.
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Arturo Linares’ family restaurant La Casa De Samuel is just around the corner from Douglass Park. Every year during Riot Fest they welcome new customers, often from different parts of the city.
"We get to see a lot of new faces. And maybe some of those new faces might come back,” he said.
Both Scott and the Chicago Park District say the festivals’ decision to return to Douglass Park is a big win for North Lawndale.
Because of the event’s size, 10%of the cost for the permit, more than $700,000, will go directly back into the park. That revenue which will be capped at $100,000 can go toward capital improvement projects.
“That’s 10% above and beyond what we already also work through the year to make sure all of our parks are receiving funds coming from all of these events,” said Chicago Park District CEO and Superintendent Rosa Escareño.
Because the permit for this event was already set for approval earlier this year, Escareño says the next step is a formal rubber stamp from the Park District.
“Process-wise we believe that they've already met the requirements for the permit. It is now a formality that it must go to our board of commissioners for approval,” she said.
It is expected that permitting process will be finalized in coming weeks, with a longer-term deal potentially in the works with festival organizers.
