Chicago’s Spring Awakening Fest in a bind after preemptive location change announcement
Spring Awakening Music Festival, the largest strictly electronic music festival in the Midwest, is set on returning to Chicago for its eighth year this June–but with the festival’s home base for the past few years (after leaving its original Soldier Field housing), Addams/Medill Park, purportedly under construction, the fest has called an audible and has announced new digs at spacious Douglas Park.
However, it seems the Chicago-based event mega-brand, React Presents, jumped the gun big time announcing their relocation plans Monday, as the decision was apparently made without consulting the proper channels within the district. Now, the community and its officials are bristling at the sudden news.
To complicate matters further, Douglas Park has already played host to punk/alternative haven, Riot Fest this past September, and is hoping to celebrate its 15th anniversary by returning to the location next year. Riot’s organizers were praised by the community and its officials for working with the locals and community overseers prior to their move in order to assess environmental and community impact, highlighting the stark misfire on SAMF’s part. Although the situation may yet to have crossed over into irreparable territory, Chicago’s 12th Ward Alderman George Cardenas issued some firm pushback in regards to Spring Awakening organizers’ actions, telling the Chicago Tribune:
There’s a lot of things to consider here, which makes me upset. There was a lot of work that was done to ensure that Riot Fest was successful and all of a sudden, we get this unexpected news release from folks who are coming in without going through any process. It’s completely wrong.
Cardenas attributes his concern with SAMF’s preemptive announcement to his not wanting to see the community, “taken for granted.” However, he conceded he would still be willing to meet with the festival organizers to rectify the situation should they chose to reach out for his approval.
via: Chicago Tribune
Photo Credit: Spring Awakening
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