'Under the banner of Concerned Citizens of Riot Fest in Douglass Park (CCRFDP), local residents have banded together to fight against the music festivals and preserve their public space.' | _KellyGarcia__
Douglas Park in North Lawndale in Chicago, Ill., Wednesday, June 29, 2022. Jonathan Aguilar / Chicago ReaderAs festival season rages on, so does the prolonged struggle to save Douglass Park from privatization.
Since 2015, the 173-acre park located on Chicago’s west side has been the site of multiple mega summer music festivals: Riot Fest, Lyrical Lemonade’s Summer Smash, and Heatwave. Under the banner of Concerned Citizens of Riot Fest in Douglass Park , local residents have banded together to fight against the music festivals and preserve their public space. The group argues that the mega music festivals damage the soccer fields, interrupt quiet zones at the hospitals across the street, and don’t make any improvements to the neighborhood. After getting booted from Humboldt Park by residents who shared similar concerns, Riot Fest accepted an invitation to move to Douglass Park in May of 2015 from the local alderpeople—who have accepted political donations from the private company that runs the festival. A few years later, Summer Smash joined, followed by Heatwave this year. “We’re not asking for a lot,” said Edith Tovar, an organizer with CCRFDP. “We want to have our park during the summer when the days are already limited.” In the past seven years, residents have complained at park district board meetings, hosted community gatherings, and collected petition signatures. In 2019, CCRFDP hosted the People’s Music Fest on the same day as Riot Fest as a form of protest against the festival and celebration of their community. “We figured it’d be really cool to highlight what community-based programming looks like in comparison to Riot Fest,” Tovar recalled. But the music festivals have already taken a toll on the community. Some soccer leagues have been forced to relocate permanently, which subsequently affects local food vendors who rely on those community weekend events for income. And, after the festival season, the soccer fields are covered with dry patches that can cause serious injury to players. Sara Heymann, another organizer with CCRFDP, is worried about rising housing costs in the neighborhood because of Riot Fest that could displace longtime residents who can’t afford it. “When developers and real estate agents come in and buy properties, they always cite Riot Fest,” Heymann said. “Housing prices around the park are like $600,000 now, when before Riot Fest, [they] used to be $100,000.” In May, Alderperson Michael Scott Jr.— whose 24th Ward includes North Lawndale and the park—abruptly announced he was stepping down to accept a director-level position with neighboring Cinespace. Since 2017, Scott has accepted $12,500 in political donations from the companies that run the music festivals. Shortly after his resignation, Mayor Lightfoot appointed his sister to replace him. Meanwhile, 12th Ward alderperson George Cardenas, from Little Village, is running for a seat on the Cook County Board of Review. In June, he won the Democratic primary, setting the groundwork for smooth sailing to the November elections. Since 2019, Cardenas has accepted $18,000 in political donations from music festival companies. Riot Fest’s previous lawyer, Homero Tristan, chairs the Chicago Latino Public Affairs Committee, a political action committee that has donated $94,650 to Cardenas and $12,750 to Scott since September 2012. What follows is a history of organizing against the music festivals in Douglass Park along with dollar amounts signaling donations to the various political committees associated with the local alderpeople.Riot Fest moves to Douglass Park after getting kicked out of Humboldt Park because of residents complaining about damage, limited use of the park for community members, and rapid gentrification.
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