NORTH LAWNDALE — In an effort to give neighbors a voice amidst Riot Fest's impending move to Douglas Park, a Little Village group is inviting the community to weigh in.
Non-profit Enlace Chicago will host a meeting to discuss the benefits and drawbacks of bringing the punk rock fest to the neighborhood at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at St. Agatha Catholic Church, 3151 W. Douglas Blvd. in North Lawndale.
"Will [Riot Fest] be a blessing or a curse?" the group asks on a flyer.
At the meeting, Enlace's leaders will hear from community members and stakeholders "to see if we can find consensus," said Simone Alexander, community development director for the group.
From there, the group plans to present a position and plan of action to the Chicago Park District board.
No elected officials have been invited to attend the Thursday meeting, Alexander said.
After facing pushback from the Humboldt Park neighborhood, Riot Fest organizers confirmed in May that the punk rock fest will be moved to Douglas Park in North Lawndale.
Douglas Park was a leading contender as tensions rose in Humboldt Park because it is similar in size and layout to Humboldt Park.
Ald. Michael Scott Jr. (24th) previously said that he expects the majority of the fest to be staged on the south end of the park.
Douglas Park, located on 218 acres bound by Roosevelt Road on the north, California Avenue on the east, 19th Street on the south and Albany Avenue on the west, straddles the North Lawndale and Little Village neighborhoods. The north end of the park is in the city's 24th Ward, and the south end is in the 12th Ward.
An analysis of drug and gun crimes in and around Humboldt Park and Douglas Park showed that Douglas Park and the surrounding neighborhoods faced significantly more crime in the last year than Riot Fest's former home.
No Doubt, Modest Mouse and Snoop Dogg will headline this year's fest, according to the full lineup.
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