The gates to Riot Fest 2024 were barely open when the love fest began. Before the music even rang out Friday for Day 1 of the weekend event, a couple dressed in matching hot dog-print shortalls got engaged within the grounds of the brand-new RiotLand attraction at Douglass Park, eliciting a huge round of cheers from nearby strangers. The lovebirds were just a hop away from the onsite wedding chapel, and although its doors weren’t open for vow taking just yet, other features were already buzzing with activity.
Among them, the Quick-Stop Groceries convenience store — an homage to Kevin Smith’s movie “Clerks” but also a helpful pit stop to pick up water and snacks — and the Riot Fest Historical Society with a façade to look like the legendary Fireside Bowl and walls of memorabilia curated by the Punk Rock Museum. The interactive RiotLand has long been a pipe dream for founder “Riot Mike” Petryshyn, and seeing it come together in 2024 only adds to what feels like another new chapter for the long-running and fiercely independent event. With intervention from the city of Chicago to bring it back to Douglass Park after an abrupt — and brief — move to Bridgeview , as well as a newly announced partnership with the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA), Riot Fest is seemingly entering into new territory.
Though it’s good to know it’ll never lose its spirit. Where else could you see a giant Butter (John) Stamos statute, catch Billy Corgan’s NWA wrestl.