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• A’Ville Guest

  I would vote “no” to this idea. Don’t get me wrong, I think the festival is great and brings some amazing exposure to our neighborhood, but at the same time – as a resident, I do not want to have to deal with an additional day of drunken stupidity and noise. Keep it to Saturday and Sunday and perhaps maybe think of expanding the boundaries of the festival to accommodate more exhibits and booths.

• Colleen O’Toole

  Thank you very much for sharing your input. To address your comment specifically, it would be very difficult for us to consider expanding the event due to current traffic conditions and layouts. As a major avenue, emergency route and cross street, shutting down Foster Avenue is nearly impossible. Expanding south is not a good option for us at this time. To expand north we run into a similar issue as blocking through traffic from Catalpa means that the next major two-way street is not until Bryn Mawr.

  We are constantly looking for ways to improve on all of our events however, especially in ways that better reflect the needs and wishes of our community. Please feel free to share your comments with us at any time.

• http://profile.yahoo.com/OCVSMIL6LDIP6IDGNYCLLMHMCA Apple

  Hmm. of the several north side festivals, Pride, Market Days, Ribfest, the one in Northcenter, etc.. This is the only Family Friendly one. I actually see strollers and kids walking and playing at this one and a lot to offer people from all walks of life. Two of the largest ones are basically just booth after booth of sex toys, people handing out condoms, naked Twister,  bathhouse advertisement, leather goods, Equality services, STD testing and awareness and porn stars in kiddie pools posing for pictures and then if you are lucky some washed up pop star of yesterday that everyone but the (us) gays still care about.  Not exactly something a parent would want a kid around. The other ones are just a couple blocks of tents and some food and beer. Again, nothing exactly “fun” for a family.

  Midsommerfest is the GOOD one. For the most part everyone is well behaved and I have never seen someone peeing in the street or walking around in a Diaper asking people to change him while attached to a ball and chain…. (ahem). Also, most of the naughty drunks head to the bars at some point. 

  If the Friday PM plan goes anywhere I hope it is mostly just opening of the tents and booths mid afternoon and some light entertainment for people to do after work. Most people will save the heavy drinking for Saturday during the day or Saturday night. I imagine most Chicagoans that live outside of the hood will wait till Saturday and Sunday and make a day of it anyhow leaving Friday night to the residents. 

• A’Ville Guest

  Reasonable suggestion. I use to live right in the heart of the festival (Clark & Berwyn) and as long as they keep entertainment light or mainly have vendor service on Friday night, that would be a reasonable compromise… because trust me, as good as this festival is, there are still plenty of drunk and obnoxious people that you will get with any street festival in the city.

  In addition… Friday was always one of those days where residents who rely on street parking quickly find and secure a spot for the weekend! That would be rough should the festival start on Friday.

• JT

  Geez, apple, for someone who doesn’t like the Marketdays and Pride Fests, you sure know alot about them! Aaaaaand, what is your problem with ‘Equality services’?

  And as far as the Halsted street fests (seeing as how those are the ones that really get under your skin) having ‘washed up pop stars of yesterday’ its far better than the no-name bar bands that seem to play at every other one of these fests.

  If you’re looking for inoffensive, ‘family friendly’ fests where you can walk with your strollers and dogs and not have to worry about people thrusting condoms into your hands (because by your comment i assume that’s what has happened to you, poor thing), there are plenty of county faires you can visit outside of the city. 

• JT

  As someone who has lived a couple blocks from the fest site for almost 10 years now and who also enjoys going to it, I’d vote no. While I, unlike at least one other commenter here, enjoy fests in other neighborhoods, including Halsted, I would not want this festival to become a crowded, noisy, stinky, traffic congested weekend, like other fests are. I like that it retains some small characteristic of our neighborhood, in that it’s not ’round the clock – it opens at a reasonable time and shuts down at a reasonable time, as well. I just wish there were fewer generic bands and food and vendors and more that actually were from the area.

  I would argue with the letter’s assessment of accesible sidewalks. Like every other fest put in in this city, i hate the shakedowns at the gates, even if you’re trying to walk thru it to get to a restaurant. If they want to make a little extra cash, why not throw a food-centered event like that one on Halsted that costs something like $25 to get into, but you get to sit down, and have real food from neighborhood restaurants? That would be cool.

• Colleen O’Toole

  Hello Neighbors,

  We would like to reach out and address some of the questions and concerns raised by those commenting on this article. The Andersonville Chamber is considering partnering with the Andersonville Development Corporation (a 501(c)3 organization) to expand Midsommarfest, specifically adding a Friday evening component. The Friday event would include local vendors and one band. Gates would open at 5pm and the event venue would close at 10pm. This Friday venue is one stage only, closing Clark Street from Catalpa to Balmoral (not the full event venue). The remaining parameters of the festival (i.e. reasonable hours, family friendly activities, environmental awareness, etc.) will persist. We do hope this year to make a greater effort to engage our local businesses in more meaningful ways, bringing more local vendors to the festival and improving the experience for all.

  Ultimately, the intention of this proposal is to help fund programs managed by the Andersonville Development Corporation. Programs include one-on-one technical assistance to new and existing businesses, the Facade Rebate Program, the Green Building Incentive Program, consumer outreach, retail attraction and retention, market studies and all eco-Andersonville programming (Green Week, bike corrals, composting).

  We understand that residents and members of our business community may experience both positive and negative outcomes from this proposal. It is very important to us that you share your opinions and concerns with us directly so that we can work with you to understand the best course of action for the community and our community-based organization.

  Thank you so much for your support.

  Colleen O’Toole
  Managing Director
  Andersonville Development Corporation