WICKER PARK — Winds and heavy rain forced Wicker Park Fest crowds to scurry for cover on both nights of the event but the revelry was back on within an hour or so.
"We feel it's always disappointing when an event must shut down for rain, but in the interest of public safety, we do what must be done. Obviously losing an hour to storms reduces the overall attendance numbers but not excessively so," said a spokeswoman for the fest on Monday.
The spokeswoman was unable to provide the estimated number of fest attendees, or how many folks paid the suggested donation to enter.
In previous years, the fest attracted 70,000 people. This year, the suggested donation to enter had doubled, from $5 to $10.
Several Instagram users used the hashtag #beforethestorm to chronicle the darkening skies.
"People fleeing Wicker Park Festival as another summer storm swarms the sky," wrote one Instagram user, who shared a photo taken on Sunday night near Jeni's Ice Creams, 1505 N. Milwaukee Ave.
The storm started about 6:30 p.m. Sunday.
The festival was back up and running around 8 p.m.
On Saturday, the fest closed down about 45 minutes early due to rain.
Fest attendees run for cover. [Alisa Hauser/Vine]
Minutes before the storms started on Sunday. [Alisa Hauser/Vine]
Here are some social media highlights from the fest:
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