Monday, January 7, 2013

Lakefront Carnival & Entertainment Festival


Update:  New dates for the Carnival are August 1st through 4th, 2013.  Updated information is here.

This is the first we've heard of anything like this at the lakefront, and it seems very ambitious, but we got notice of "Chicago Uptown Lakefront Carnival & Entertainment Festival, June 20th – July 7th, 2013. From Lawrence to Wilson, from Lake Shore Drive to Lake Michigan. 18 days of fun for all ages. Free Admission, Food, Drink, Amazing Carnival Rides, Music and Entertainment, Arts and Crafts and More!"

They are currently seeking vendors.  Really, there's a lot planned:  Two entertainment stages, five nights of fireworks, carnival rides, ten beer gardens, a DJ/dance area, a kids' area, cop and firefighter nights, and a food court.  Sounds on the scale of a state fair to us.

You can see more about it here.

41 comments:

  1. Interesting... it almost seems as if they are attempting to compete with Summerfest in Milwaukee, which ironically enough happens at the exact time.

    Well, good luck! I think the scope of the project is a bit unrealistic for their first time, but I support it!

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  2. Web site is registered to 2 gentlemen who live over on Sunnyside and seem to have some event planning experience - but nothing of this scale I could find in a quick google search.

    I think 10 beer gardens is more than Taste of Chicago has, and this would run three times as long as Taste does now? Plus offering 5 nights of fireworks after the City cut their display, as did Venetian Night?

    I'm a little skeptical this is real, but it sure would be something.

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  3. They need to come up with a new name.

    Not only is it too long, but it also is totally generic.

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  4. I agree with Chris that "the scope of the project is [more than] a bit unrealistic..."

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  5. sounds like a tacky disaster loaded with McVendors just like ribfest

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  6. 18 days and nights, 10 beer gardens, thousands of families, 5 nights of fireworks... and ALL FREE ADMISSION?

    Sounds to me like EIGHTEEN Police & Firefighter nights! With free admission, this will be a disaster for law enforcement with our new, reduced in size, police department.

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  7. sounds unreal now :) but we will see. can't wait!

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  8. I see crime, garbage, parking and noise nightmares for those of us that live close to the lake. Would have been great to bring in community commentary on this prior to scheduled 18 days of a fair on the Lakefront steps from our homes...

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  9. Sounds like a joke to me. This also takes place during Pride weekend. The picnic just down the way at Montrose right after the parade. Plus I assume the same parade route as last year means too much traffic for that area. It's got to be an elaborate joke!

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  10. Did anyone else notice the company running this?
    909 W Sunnyside.

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  11. Not to be a snooty lakefront fan but Montrose gets more and more depressing every year. More and more people, events/concerts etc etc, more garbage left in the wake, more noise and congestion.. It's as if the parks and lakefront are being taken over from the folks that go there as a place of refuge (being the only real nature we have). Maybe I'm getting old or actually just appreciate the lake but the less people swarming the lakefront, I feel the better. I use to love going to the lakefront on the weekends during the warm months but loath it now b/c of the overflowing crowds, people blaring music on systems loud enough for a club, and littering/dumping coals everywhere..

    Nothing beats a summer night near the lake more than having silence, listening to the waves and the masts clattering on the boats in Montrose harbor. So as far as mixing large crowds with outdoor concerts and beer everyday for 3/4 of a month, dear God I hope not....

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  12. It's very ambitious. Let's see if they can pull it off -- doubtful!

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  13. Yeah, I think this has to either be a joke or a pipe dream. A massive pipe dream. I can't imagine the permits needed. The website looks like a scam to me.

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  14. $60 for a wristband to ride the carnival rides according to the guy who answers the phone # listed. I could go to Great America for less than that.

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  15. Sounds ambitious to me too, but apparently it's for real:

    http://www.nbcnews.com/id/50390111/ns/local_news-chicago_il/#.UOtJ-W-5N8E

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  16. And when this shuts down at night, and the hoards of bangers flood into Uptown, will they be distributing bullet proof vests for the rest of us?

    They couldn't keep the fights/muggings out of downtown/loop after the Taste, so why export it up here?

    I probably won't even go to the Sadle and Cycle Club fire works anymore, because who wants to be caught in the cross fire?

    And who's paying for all the police overtime on this one.

    Ain't worth a corn dog to me.

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  17. I hear there are a lot of fries that will be there.
    I really like to eat fries.
    I wonder if they will be French or just the regular kind.
    I'll prolly have some beers too, cause I like the taste of fries with my beer.

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  18. I agree Toto-going to need alot of police on that site ,than that means less on our streets where we really need them in summer or anytime right now the way things are going. A carinval for trouble.

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  19. A quick look at the web page says this isn't happening and thank goodness. What a disaster in the making it would be.

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  20. So...it's free admission, but you also need to purchase an "all-day wristband" for $60? Huh? Summerfest is about $25 a day, and offers A- and B-list talent. An open call for "Do you got talent?" hardly bodes well for a $60 value.

    I'd love for Uptown to have a successful event that draws people to the neighborhood but this is bonkers. 18 days? Sounds more like a hobocamp than a festival.

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  21. This seems completely unrealistic... and I echo some of the other sentiments re: ridiculous pricing, impractical timing (during pride, many other festivals and potentially taste), impact on the park and neighbors, intense healthy and safety resources required, lack of community input and on and on... Uptown can't even pull off / support a single weekend Ribfest that isn't a total joke. Has anyone checked with Cappleman's office to find out if this is for real?

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  22. Lighten up peoples, it's a carnival. Albeit one not likely to actually happen but great if it does.

    "I call it... the hot dog tree, because... it's a hot dog tree."

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  23. To be fair, Uptown doesn't support Rib Fest because it is just one of thousands identical McFestivals-in-a-box. This looks like the same thing on a disastrously large scale. A smaller festival that embraced Uptown's ethnic gems and invited some of Chicago's craft brewers would probably be a major success.

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  25. "Uptown can't even pull off / support a single weekend Ribfest that isn't a total joke."

    " Uptown doesn't support Rib Fest"

    So a festival that is going on its 4th year and is expected to attract 40,000 people "isn't supported"?
    I enjoy Ribfest even though it doesn't really pull too much from Uptown. I would expect continued years of success will entice local businesses to start buying boothes at the event. We have a couple of places that sell ribs locally, it would be cool to see them enter as well. Uptown Pizza & Ribs, Dengeo's (coming soon), Godfather's to name a couple.

    I would rather support festivals in our area and show that this neighborhood is a viable place for one than not show up and show that Uptown "can't support" a festival.

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  26. Uptown Pizza Festival... anyone remember that disaster last year? This looks like 18 days of the same. Good idea but will probably end up embarassing Uptown as a flop..and a crime ridden, noisy, horrible traffic, taking away the Lakefront, full of garbage one at that...

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  27. This should not happen. It will be a gang haven for Uptowns notorious idiots. I know the alderman reads Uptown Update so what do you have to say about this?

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  28. The event time is too long. 18 days is quite excessive. What kind of of Dog walker is going to be at this event for 18 days in lieu of walking their clients dogs they have now? 18 days is just too long. 1 week covering 2 weekends is enough. Start small and grow. :(

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  29. This disgusts me. How does an event SO large, that is going on for SO long, taking up SO much public space just appear out of nowhere without any community input?? The lakefront is already so littered over in the summer months with all the additional traffic, now we're going to devote more civic resources to keep it clean? And keep crime at bay? For 18 days? Wasn't the Taste shortened from 10 days in part because of crime and city resource constraints? Now we're just shifting the problem north? This sounds like a good reason to get outta dodge for a looooong summer vacation.

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  30. Where's is the alderman to answer if this is true? What does he have to say about this if its true?

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  31. Judging from these comments we have a lot of miserable people living in Uptown.

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  32. It is amazing that we cannot get a quick confirm or deny from the ald regarding something so obviously high impact.

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  33. Alek, you seem to have a lot of concerns with this event. You should consider calling the alderman's office and discussing it directly. Demanding action from a neighborhood blog probably won't satisfy your concerns. The direct approach should help.

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  34. I grew up near Coney Island, so count me as a fan of carnival rides. I welcome this festival.

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  35. DNA info has a post on this potential festival with its festive promises of festive delights.

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  36. I keep hearing about Dengeos opening in the former '' Best Steakhouse '' location at Broadway and Wilson. I love Dengeos. I have been to their Skokie location many times over 28 years. When I was their on Sat Jan 12th I asked about the rumor. The employee I spoke to said they have had many inquiries about this. He brought this up to management and they told him that some friend of theirs who runs a similar style restaurant is the one doing it not Dengeos.

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  37. This should not happen! Have you guys been to the Puerto Rican festival in humboldt park? It's nothing but a gang infestation having to utilize police officers from all over the city. It's non stop fights, shootings and chases. We are trying to get rid of gangs in Uptown, not give them a free playground to cause havoc.

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  38. I definitely see the concern about gangs, but I would like to give the festival a chance, assuming the organizers hire proper security. If issues arise, we can always join together as a community and push Cappleman to shutdown the operation in the following year.

    I would love to go back in time to experience Riverview Park.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riverview_Park_(Chicago)

    Coney Island was a dump when I lived out East, but the place was diverse and filled with character. It was not uncommon to walk around the Boardwalk and witness a Wall Street banker with his kids sitting on a bench next to Russian immigrants from Brighton Beach. The place is a true melting point of America.

    Now Coney Island has a big redevelopment plan and I look forward to seeing it reach fruition.

    http://www.nydailynews.com/news/coney-island-redevelopment-plan-marries-best-bright-new-future-article-1.257177

    Northside diversity is what I love about our area. I have an affinity for Montrose Beach because the crowd is much more diverse than North Avenue. I enjoy running up lakeshore path and seeing old Vietnamese people shooting hoops near Foster Beach. I always want to join the game because they are likely at my basketball skillset haha.

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