HUMBOLDT PARK — Riot Fest showrunners say the “entire process of restoring” Humboldt Park is complete following the 3-day fest in September that trampled the land, racking up $182,000 in damages.
“Disturbed areas of the park have been graded, reseeded with a high quality turf mix, topsoil has been added and the soil has been aerated to encourage root growth in order to produce a stronger lawn,” organizers of the punk festival said Monday.
Additional fencing has also been installed to protect newly prepared areas and areas around the park’s baseball ball field were addressed for the upcoming season.
The Riot Fest footprint nearly tripled this year, coverin the entire park, from Kedzie to California avenues and from North Avenue to Division Street. The repair bill also tripled, up from $54,300 last year.
This year, portable toilets, trash and hordes of seagulls remained at the Humboldt Park site in the days after the fest, as crews cleaned up from the punk fest that drew about 160,000 fans to the park from Sept. 12-14 — following the damage estimate, Petryshyn vowed to make Humboldt Park "Chicago's best."
“Grounds crew managers reported that all concerns raised by the Chicago Parks Department have been addressed,” according to a Riot Fest press release.
The announcement comes with word that Riot Fest will host what organizers describe as the city’s largest turkey drive Nov. 24 alongside the pending formation of The Riot Fest Foundation, a nonprofit group that will hone in on charitable efforts “focused to the Humboldt Park locale.”
The foundation hopes to raise $500,000 over the next year for college scholarships, enhancement initiatives, community-based enrichment and youth-oriented programs.
“We are not carpetbaggers,” said Riot Fest founder Mike Petryshyn, also a Humboldt Park resident. “I wholly believe in community, kids and individuals with dreams. We were lucky enough to have teachers, mentors and parents who supported us and still support us every day, no matter how idealistic or foolish it may seem to most. Riot Fest can and will help kids and families in that same manner. I know it can. This is not us pipe dreaming.”
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