July 10th-12th are tremendously busy days when it comes to summer festivals. We have Windy City Smokeout, and of course, the big daddy of them all, The Taste of Chicago. Why then would you want to travel up north to see Square Roots Festival? Nothing against the other two, but there are some unique elements here that you won’t find elsewhere. So while you’re stuffing your face at the Taste or taking in the radiating BBQ goodness at the Smokeout, think about these six reasons and consider paying Square Roots a visit.
1) 60+ Musical Acts
For a fest that doesn’t quite match up in size to some of the massive music fests we have here, 60+ acts is a ridiculous amount. Top names include Urge Overkill, the Mekons, Robbie Fulks, and Hassan Hakmoun.
2) Four Different Stages
Take your pick! Square Roots Fest has two indoor stages to go along with their two outdoor stages. You can view the scheduled lineup broken down by time & stage here.
3) Gourmet Local Food
The food here is about as varied as you can get. And that’s a beautiful, beautiful thing. Choices include cheeseburgers, ice cream sandwiches, gyro sandwiches, unique syrups, cheese fries, apple fries, alligator skewers, chorizo chili dogs, and tacos in a bag. There’s quite a bit more though. Check it out.
4) 30+ Craft Beers
Festivals and beer pretty much go hand in hand. The big difference here? Most festival beer lists can’t compare to Square Roots! Some of the highlights: Lagunitas, Founders, Two Brothers, 5 Rabbit Cerveceria, and Revolution. Take a look at the full list.
5) Family-Friendly Activities
Of course, the little ones can’t enjoy the great beer options. Square Roots offers a petting zoo, face painting, a swing set drum kit (which sounds amazing), an art tent, and a playroom for the younger guests.
6) A Big Ol’ Market
We can all use a little more shopping in our lives, right? Like most markets, you’ll be able to find a little bit of everything here. Instead of listing out the dozens of vendors and their unique items, we’ll just let you take a look at which vendors interest you.
Square Roots Festival takes place on Friday, July 10th – Sunday, July 12th at Lincoln Square on Lincoln Ave between Montrose and Wilson