Before anything, prepare yourself for some of the cutest photo opps ever to grace a festival. Literally, the cutest.
Do you like really good BBQ? Live Country music? How about perfect photo backdrops for you and your friends’ Instagram Stories? If you checked yes I highly recommend attending Windy City Smokeout, a BBQ & Country Music Festival in Chicago. This was my first year going and I’m honestly so glad that I did. It gave me major flashbacks to my Nashville girls trip. The festival was one of the more organized events I’ve been at Chicago with the stage on one end & food vendors on another. From the music to the venue’s vibe, everything was great. The food options were mouthwatering and the photo backdrops were even better. Everyone in line for pictures was very willing to help others get the perfect shot!
I’m not the biggest Country music fan, but I am a fan of a good time. I went to Day 2 of the festival weekend, Saturday, with the main headliner being Brett Eldredge (an Illinois native who’s amazing live!) The highlight for me was when he brought his dog on stage, dressed in a Cubs jersey, to perform a few tricks. He then started a ‘Go Cubs Go’ accapella sing-a-long with the crowd. Talk about a crowd pleaser. This first year was a hit, but there are a few takeaways I will keep in mind for next year. Read them below!
What I Recommend
All the food! Come with an appetite and hit the food vendors before emerging into the stage crowd. All of the restaurants at the event are amazing with the cuisine type majority BBQ, with a few Non-BBQ options as well. There is plenty of beer options to go around, however if you want a tasty non-beer beverage, Casamigos had the cutest bar setup including watermelon margaritas and bar-side swings.
Connect your credit card to your wristband with the Windy City Smokehouse App. This is useful for quicker check out at the food and drink stands. If you’re used to scanning your phone to pay at Starbucks, same concept.
Make time for photos. ALOT of them. Windy City Smokeout did such a phenomenal job of offering Instagramable backdrops to capture your memories. From a sunflower filled truck right at the entrance to swinging chairs at Casamigos bar stop to a flower-filled frame, the result was content for days. To be honest, the photo ops and food alone were enough for me to come back next year. They were that perfect!
Dress the theme! Embrace all the denim, gingham, plaid and floral. I had a lot of fun wearing a pink gingham top and tan suede skirt, both from LuLus.
What I Would Do Differently Next Year
Upgrade to VIP
While the general admission price was perfect for an experience-lover on a budget ($60 total doing the Early Bird pricing), I would be very interested to try VIP admission for one day. The VIP areas had closed-off elevated areas for better views of the stage (and less crowd elbowing), a tented viewing area with flatscreen TVs, full bar available for purchase, air-conditioned restrooms, complimentary charging stations and more.
Expand the Weekend
This year I only went one of the three days offered, however I would love to go for two days next year for twice the outfits and twice the fun. So much food and music, so little time!
Plan Out Food Ahead of Time
Windy City Smokeout’s website conveniently lists all of the food and drink vendors attending serving at the festival ahead of time, allowing you to see exactly what they will be offering. Since there are so many delicious options, save the stress of choosing on the spot by planning out what sounds good!
Windy City Smokeout was the best festival I had been to in a very long time. I had a blast and can’t wait to attend again next year. Mark your calendars, next year’s event will be July 12-14, 2019!
