Summertime at Lollapalooza in Chicago 2016

What: A 4-day music festival in Chicago

When: July 28-31, 2016

Where: Grant Park right off Lake Michigan

Why: I love live music. In fact, I used to dabble in Austin’s live music scene having been both an intern to C3 Presents (who puts on Lollapalooza and Austin City Limits Fest) and the Governor’s Texas Music Department. There is something so special about seeing music live, it’s universal, no matter where you come from music evokes the deepest feelings in us and that’s what makes it so special to me.

My sister had never been to Chicago, and we scored tickets to attend the festival, so it seemed like the perfect sister trip. We booked our flight and hotel, and were counting down the days till our festival adventure began.

This year Lolla was a 4 day festival and was celebrating it’s 25th year anniversary. Headlining bands were Red Hot Chili Peppers, LCD Soundsystem, Disclosure, Major Lazer and so many other great acts.

It was a little overwhelming at the beginning of the week, we weren’t sure how we would make it to Sunday, but we had a great routine. I would wake up and workout with my sister (a fitness blogger), and then she would go to breakfast/lunch with me, we would do something touristy, head back to the hotel to change and then make our way over to the festival. We saw, ate, and played in Chicago to the fullest and were truly having a magical experience.

The festival takes place in Grant Park which sits right next to Lake Michigan. I think the Lake provided a nice breeze despite the hot 90 degree days so it was a really nice time to be in Chicago. The park altogether is like a mile and a half long, so there was lots of walking. The two main stages were situated at opposite sides of the park. Food stands were in the middle, which helped make the walk a little less painful as I literally ate everything I could.

My festival picks were the: Pork Bao Bun from Pork and Mindys, Lobster Corndog from Graham Elliot Bistro, Sausage and Jalapeno corndog from Greenridge Farms, Sriracha chicken skewers and fries from Tank Noodle, and last but certainly not least, a piece of crack pie from Milk Bar.

This was easily the largest festival I’ve ever been to, seeing a total of 400,000 attendees traverse the park over the 4-days. It’s a lot, but it’s not overwhelming, and if you know how to enjoy it for what it is you will have a great time.

My favorite thing about the festival is the location. It’s hard not to fall in love with Chicago when you’re dancing under her skyline.

Until next time, if you ever get the chance to attend a festival big or small, I hope you go and dance your ass off!