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Move to Douglas Park Going Smoothly, Riot Fest Attendees and Neighbors Say

By Joe Ward | September 12, 2015 4:40pm
 North Lawndale residents Juan Garcia, left, and Angel Trejo check out Riot Fest Saturday.
North Lawndale residents Juan Garcia, left, and Angel Trejo check out Riot Fest Saturday.
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DNAinfo/Joe Ward

NORTH LAWNDALE — A few blocks west of Riot Fest, Tyler Carlson and Charles Johnson made use of the patch of grass on Douglas Boulevard.

They had pulled their grill and cooler from the back of Carlson's truck and were biding their time before heading over to Riot Fest in Douglas Park, 1401 S. Sacramento Dr. The two friends from suburban New York had left for Chicago Thursday night and arrived Friday morning.

"We slept right here in the truck," Carlson said. "Was that a bad idea?"

Riot Fest's fourth year in Chicago kicked off Friday in this Near West Side park after three years in Humboldt Park. After being asked to leave Humboldt Park, the punk fest decamped for Douglas Park, and not without some resistance from neighbors.

 A woman, who asked not to be named, sells snacks outside of Riot Fest in Douglas Park.
A woman, who asked not to be named, sells snacks outside of Riot Fest in Douglas Park. "We usually do better on soccer weekends," she said.
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DNAinfo/Joe Ward

Though there were questions about traffic and neighborhood impact, as well as safety concerns, festgoers and North Lawndale neighbors alike seemed to be enjoying the weekend.

Though they didn't know much about the neighborhood, Carlson and Johnson said they had no problems through Saturday morning. One man did ask them for money to watch their truck, but that's about it, Johnson said.

"It is pretty low key," he said. "Just some bums, people begging. This is a lot cleaner than New York City, though."

Festgoers could be seen walking from every direction toward Douglas Park, as they took advantage of the ample parking in the neighborhood.

George Devereux was one such attendee who drove to Douglas Park. He said the location was no less inconvenient than Humboldt Park and that parking was not a problem.

"We're super pleased," said Devereux, who has gone to every Riot Fest in Chicago. "The stage set up is even better. It's just perfect this year."

Police and emergency management staff were present all around the park, directing traffic and keeping crowds moving Saturday afternoon. An ambulance with sirens blaring came south down California Avenue and turned without problem into Mount Sinai Hospital's emergency room, located across the street from the fest.

Mount Sinai had been planning for the festival for months. St. Anthony Hospital, also across from the fest, had concerns about the event and eventually filed suit to have it halted. Ultimately, the hospital dropped the suit and said that Riot Fest had addressed their concerns about sound levels and traffic jams.

Walking on the sidewalk across from St. Anthony was Angel Trejo and Juan Garcia, friends from North Lawdale. Trejo said he had no problems with Riot Fest in the park, but hoped that the park would fare better than Humboldt Park did after three days of heavy use.

"I'm worried it might trash the park," he said. "This is our only park right here."

 Sue Devereux, Deorge Devereux and Bob Fuchana pose before entering Riot Fest Saturday.
Sue Devereux, Deorge Devereux and Bob Fuchana pose before entering Riot Fest Saturday. "It's just perfect this year," George said.
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DNAinfo/Joe Ward

Garcia said he had heard that the fest would be giving away tickets to nearby residents, but that he didn't know anyone from the area who got them.

"They're using our park for a weekend," he said. "Even just do a lottery, maybe, for like a block radius around the park."

Riot Fest officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

A Chicago Park District employee was on the north side of Douglas Park when the festival was just kicking off a bit south. She said that area of the park was almost an oasis compared to her house just a few blocks away.

"There were a lot of people around here," said the woman, who asked not to be named because she was working. "A lot."

She said the noise wasn't much of a distraction on her job, but also joked that it was early in the day.

"You can hear it, but it don't sound too bad," she said "Not yet, but we still got a few more hours to go."

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