Centerstage - Chicago's Original City Guide

Families with parents cool enough to bring the wee ones along; people watchers; curious middle-agers. However you want to classify yourself, you're not a music connoisseur (or you've been disconnected from the scene for a while). And that's OK. The sun's out and tunes are flowing: Go investigate. If there's one thing Chicagoans are known for, it's friendliness.

Your pre-party = Millennium Park and Grant Park
Rediscover Chicago's parks, fields of award-winning, sun-soaking paradise in rock-throwing distance form Lolla. Kids can take to the water-splashed glass turrets between the huge face-pillars in Millennium Park, families can stroll through the budding flowers of the Luri Gardens and lazers can shoot over to Buckingham Fountain and just admire the lake breeze and the skyline.

Your field guide
Little rockers have got it made at their very own interactive stage all weekend. With drum circles and dance workshops, parents will be jealous. Kid-less sun-strollers should hit the big four—AT&T, Bud Light, Adidas-Champs, Q101—to find mass crowd pleasers. The BMI stage hosts a surprising amount of Chicago talent, if you're looking for what's going on in the local scene. If the music starts to wear on you, the Mindfield stage hosts Second City, short films and wild fan contests like foam-sword jousting.

Your after-party = Australian Homemade or Tavern on Rush
Kids will probably be knocked out by festival's end, but if they still have a little juice in 'em, take your crew to Australian Homemade. An ice cream haven that doubles as a chocolate shop, Australian Homemade's 24 flavors of ice cream and sorbet start at $3. Older sun soakers should stroll along Rush Street then grab a seat at the swanky Tavern on Rush. Grab a cocktail and rest those festival-hot feet out on the patio for some after-hours people watching.

Does this sound nothing like you? Check out our other Palooza Profiles:

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