Posted 6 years ago in Arts and Culture by Ammanuel M. Ayalew
Lollapalooza 2018, one of the most prolific music festivals, is upon us. It’s high time you got your plan together to enjoy four days of music, heat and huge crowds near some of the best attractions in the Chicago Loop. Before you head to Grant Park, allow us to help you with a few details that will enhance your festival experience.
Plan Your Days
Photo Credit: Charles Reagan Hackleman
The complete Lollapalooza schedule has been released, allowing fans to start preparing for the four-day bash that is taking place on six stages at Grant Park. Conflicts of schedule are bound to happen, and you can’t see every performance despite your ambition. For example, you will have to consider leaving Travis Scott and Arctic Monkeys a little early to catch Tycho on Thursday. On Friday, you will have to pick either Walk the Moon or Post Malone. On Saturday, you will have to skip Vampire Weekend and Zedd to belt out "I Can't Feel My Face" with headliner The Weeknd—and you might love it.
Decide Where You Stay Early
Book your hotel early, or you will be at the mercy of picking what's available. When you stay in the Loop, you will be steps away from Lollapalooza and post-Lollapalooza happenings. You will also be at the center of all the best diurnal and nocturnal experiences Chicago has to offer.
Plan Your Route
Lollapalooza can be chaotic, but that doesn't mean it has to be for parking. If you’re driving to the fest, you can easily reserve a parking spot ahead of time with the mobile app iParkit. Participating garages closest to Grant Park include Adams & Wabash Self Park (17 E Adams) and Tower Self Park (211 W Adams) coming in from the West as well as Wabash-Randolph Self Park (20 E Randolph) coming in from the North. With iParkit you also get an in-and-out privilege—just scan your app when you enter and exit the garage.
Millennium Garages also offers multiple convenient parking garages. You can purchase your spot ahead of time from its website.
If you’re taking the CTA train, you can take t
Eat Well
Enjoy delicious festival food, drinks and sweets from Chicago’s favorite restaurants like Wow Bao, Robinsons Ribs, Pizzano’s Pizza and Pasta, M Burger, Kamehachi Café, Billy Goat Tavern, Bella Bacino’s and much more at Chow Town. You can also step out and grab something quick from other restaurants in the Chicago Loop.
Photo Credit: Katrina Barbe
What to Take
Water
Lollapalooza is an all-day event, so you need to keep yourself hydrated. You can take two factory-sealed water bottles with a maximum size of 1 liter. You can refill them and save money on expensive water at the fest. Check out the official guide for a complete list of permitted and prohibited items.
Cash
Most transactions at Lollapalooza require cash. There are ATMs at the festival, but why stand in long lines and pay withdrawal fees?
Power Bank
From taking photos to connecting with friends at the festival, your phone is unlikely to withstand your heavy usage. Hence, take a cell phone power bank with you so that you can stay connected the whole time free of worry.
What to Wear
Photo credit: Katrina Barber
One thing we can take away from the 2012 Lollapalooza, which was marked by heavy rain and high wind, is that it never hurts to be overprepared. Take a raincoat with you just in case. For festival fashion pointers, check out Finder’s fashion guide.
Share the Moment
Social media is hard-wired into our lives, so hashtag your moments at Lollapalooza on social media with #inTheLoopChi.
Main Photo Credit: Roger Ho