If you live in the city then you know – street festival season is officially upon us! One of the amazing reasons we love living in Chicago is because the summer festival season here is second to none. Tons of music, delicious food & drink and shopping galore. Every weekend there is usually more than one fest to choose from and you can neighborhood hop until your heart is content. Among other reasons, the fests are a great way to experience all the different ‘hoods and enjoy our beautiful summer weather.
We at Windward love a good street festival. After years of experience, we’ve found a small list of items that you absolutely must have for a successful weekend in the sun. Below are just a few of our favorite things (most available at the shop) that will help keep your weekend moving in the right direction.
The Right Bag
Since humans only come with two hands, we recommend a bag of some sort. Dudes like backpacks and most ladies prefer a small yet effective bag of some sort. If you are going to be out of your house for the next 8-ish hours, you might need to pack a couple important things to keep your day moving in the right direction. Something not too big, certainly not too hot or heavy and preferably something with a little water proofing just in case Mother Nature decides to not cooperate. Check out these killer options:
Sunblock
We love the sun, and would never want to hide from it but no one wants a nasty sunburn. If you are going to be out for the entire day, we highly recommend packing a few key items from our good friends at Sun Bum. Their SPF 30 Face Stick goes on easily without getting your hands greasy. The same goes for their full line of Continuous Spray sunblocks. Ranging from a 15SPF all the way up to 70, they have the right amount of protection for any skin type at all. For the day after, check out their assortment of after sun products.
Good Shoes
Sore feet are never, ever, a good thing. Finding shoes that are lightweight, comfortable and decent looking is no easy task. No, Crocs and/or toe shoes are absolutely not the answer. Long walks and potentially sweaty feet can be a huge bummer if you don’t plan accordingly. You could be tromping thru the grass at a music fest or pounding the pavement for hours at a time wandering your local flea market – either way you will be needing a good shoe. For the hot days, we even have some super tough flip flops that are built to handle long days of summer (with a bottle opener too).
In Case Of Rain
Sometimes, Mother Nature is not on the same page. Rain happens at festivals, a lot, and it’s not always a huge mud-sliding party like the hippies want you to believe it is. Rain can be an even bigger bummer if you are not prepared. The obvious first choice for possible rain days is a good rain jacket – we recommend the Burton Allagash 2.5L Jacket for an awesome lightweight summer-weather-approved option. If you decide to go sans-jacket, see below for a few small items that are easily packed, and will make a big impact on the outcome of your rain day.
- A plastic baggie. Just enough room for your phone, camera, cards and cash. If you really want to step your game up look into the Ocean and Earth water wallet.
- A poncho. We know they look stupid – but they work. The guy without the poncho will have a rash at the end of the day and you won’t. Who’s laughing now?
- A good hat. Guys or girls, if you have any hair, the rain can make you look ridiculous. Pack your favorite hat. When you look at photos from the weekend, you will thank us.
Beverage and safety supplies.
If you are under 21, disregard this portion of the list.
We don’t want to sound ghetto but festival beers are expensive. For in-between drinks – to keep the party going – pack your favorite flask. Bring a portable cooler if you want to get serious with your own beverages. Even if you have unlimited funds, it’s always good to have backup. After all, a little swish of Jamo never hurt anybody. And in the event a safety meeting needs to take place, never forget the one an only 420 Kit from Burton.
This about wraps up our little checklist. Clearly this is only good for one day at a time. We will touch on the all-weekend parties in another post. We hope you will review this list before your next adventure and hopefully find this info useful. Enjoy the summer friends!