This past weekend, September 13th and 14th, was Riot Fest, and teens raced to Douglas Park, Chicago to see some of their favorite alternative rock musicians such as Weezer and Young the Giant. Riot Fest is one of many music festivals that comes around the Chicago area annually, making summertime in Chi one of the most musically rich times of the year. With Lollapalooza, North Coast, Wicker Park Fest, Pitchfork, and more, the way Chicago culture absorbs music is rapidly increasing. It is true that the youth takes up a majority of the attendees that make these music festivals so popular, ensuring these festivals become a significant part of adolescent and young adult culture.

A number of Whitney Young students attended this event. Tadzio Kurka ’19 says that his mom took him to Pitchfork Music Festival when he was eight years old. He states, “I think that parents should wait to introduce their children to music festivals until they are older. I wasn’t able to appreciate it then the same way I do now.” Because music has become such a big part of Chicago, more and more of teen culture is growing around it. In fact, a large number of music festivals are very social and centered around togetherness. This is a vital aspect of the music festival scene–something that young children would have difficulty grasping. All in all, music festivals are a vital part of the Chicago teen culture that everyone at Whitney Young should have the chance to experience.