Fans of rock music, listen up—Riot Fest returns to Chicago's Douglas Park September 14th-16th. Sure, you've heard of Lollapalooza, Pitchfork, the Blues Festival, and maybe even Spring Awakening, but Riot Fest consistently ranks as one of the top Chicago music gatherings year-after-year. The festival takes place in Douglas Park—either an 18-minute cab ride away or a 50-minute Pink Line train ride. To those not familiar with the CTA, that 50-minute train ride is actually not that bad. Riot Fest always uses a carnival-like theme for the festival, with typical carnival rides and food scattered throughout the venue. It is typically hot, so bring sunscreen, but you can kind of feel that it's one of the last summerish events of the year, with cooler temperatures quickly approaching. This year's event features some huge names that, in my opinion, may eclipse the lineup collected by Lollapalooza. A short list of names features: Elvis Costello & the Imposters Beck Blink-182 Incubus Father John Misty Wolfmother Flogging Molly Twin Peaks Liz Phair Blondie Matt and Kim As with most celebrated music festivals, the people watching is superb. People dress up in their most punk, pop-punk, and metal attire, giving the feeling of being in an alternate universe. Also, vendors are scattered throughout the festival grounds hocking handmade wears, classic vinyl, epic band t-shirts, and more. In 2017, the most fantastic vendor was a tent featuring artwork—paintings, pencil drawings, and more—of John Stamos; there was a consistently long line for selfies. Riot Fest also does a great job of stocking the venue with every kind of delicious food you can imagine. Last year, I recall seeing barbecue, burgers, Indian, every type of chicken, and as much desert as one stomach can handle. For a group of rock fans, you can also rest assured that there were drink options galore.
