West Fest

Best festival I have been to this year! Loved the dog station (and checking out all the cutie-​pie dogs) and that there was a special area for the kids.
Not too crowded, good food (cevapcici and massive polish plates were our faves)…but agree that they need to toss the over-​priced generic carnie food. I know, it’s my fault at paying it, but $ 7 for a corn dog is ridic. Fully.
Great people (and dog) watching… loved the fashion show. And of course, I was with some of my favorite people, so that made everything even better. Will definitely be back to this one next year.

West Fest is going on my festival hitlist for next summer. Earlier that day I had been at a fest that was a dud so this was a nice change of pace.
Here’s what I liked:
* Lots of space, the fest didn’t feel overly crowded or cramped.
* Cool booths and attractions — a large dog bathing and hydration station, cool crafty booths and a whole area off to the side for kids.
* Nice variety of food choices. In addition to the generic fried food stands there were things like pierogis, samosas, cevapchichi, etc.
* Open local bars with drink specials, regular food menus and seating on their patios. Better than settling for overpriced beer and sangria from the tents.
* Competing food stands. There were a few stands that sold the same items at different prices. I’m not sure the vendors knew it, but it allowed you to stretch your buck a bit more.
* Good music — Liquid Soul, Mucca Pazza and Local H.
* $.50 snow cones in the kids area. I’m not sure if they were intended only for adults too, but it was the perfect refresher on a hot afternoon. Besides everyone is a kid at heart.
Here are the things that could stand to be improved:
* Ditch the overpriced generic food stand! $ 9 for a funnel cake and $ 6 for cheese sticks? Are they on crack!
* Porta-​potty placement. We had been at the fest for hours and didn’t notice the potties until we really needed them. A fest worker didn’t even know where to find them! He heard a rumor they were near one entrance; fortunately, we ignored him stumbled on the elusive potties a short time later.
* The covered sides of the stage really interfered with the view if you were not dead center to the stage. The stage also seemed a bit cramped.
Bottom line: Hooray for another non-​cookie cutter fest with lots of options. West Fest gets the Mary Seal of Approval.

Let’s see: I spent most of my weekend here so this fest surely warrants a review!
As others mention– this is a great fest for actually walking around, checking out retail vendors, moving between the live music and DJ stages and trying out various ethnic foods. Though I’ll admit I’m a bit partial to the sandwiches Cevapcici Chicago puts out, I also tried the chicken tikka flatbread at Veerasway (Indian crack!) as well as the sweet cheese blintzes from the Polski booth. You’ll also find the usual street food favorites– everything from corn dogs, Italian sausage, funnel cakes to those ridiculous looking elephant ears.
The entertainment lineup was also solid… turns out that I know a few Local H songs after all (hello ‘Bound on the Floor’). Of course, West Fest’s most attractive quality was ease of walkability– not once was I shoved, stepped on and as a result was able to hold on to every last drop of overpriced PBR.
Sidenote: you can actually bring your pets to this fest without putting them in harm’s way! And I happened to fall in love with one of these teddy bears, a Golden Doodle:

Go West! Booths are cheap (ful) there.
Go West! In the pet friendly air.
Go West! Where the bands are huge!
Go West! This is what you’ve gotta do.
Alright, even if parodying the Village People is far more Market Days than West Fest (and to get to West Fest personally I have to go southeast), I can’t help joining in the chant.
West Fest won’t guarantee anyone a new life (as is promised in «Go West») but it is a wide open, expansive festival reminiscent of the American west itself (okay, not really). The web site says it runs from Wood to Damen on Chicago, but it definitely creeps a bit closer to Ashland and down a couple of side streets. All of the festival is well organized with similar vendors (including a large kid area and a large pet area) being grouped together.
Perhaps having your major «competitors» nearby drives down the prices (or its just more independent sellers) because West Fest has some major bargains. The prices seem to match the more laid-​back attitude of Ukrainian Village and I found myself saying, «this is only?» more than a few times. Usually it’s the other direction at festivals.
But even though West Fest minimizes prices, it maximizes entertainment. Chicago bands and DJs with significant national followings occupy prime slots on both days of the festival. While I can’t remember the last time I paid more than $ 10 for Local H, $ 5 is still a wallet-​friendly treat.
If only the food was also a wallet-​friendly treat. Typical festival prices abound (though a $ 6 for 6 pierogis deal and a few others can be found). And at $ 4 for a PBR (though I have seen worse at other festivals) getting drunk is not cheap.
This problem can be tempered by the local bars, however. The $ 4 vodka lemonade special at Cleo’s, for example, is a welcome break. Plus Cleo’s and High Dive both have patios close enough to the band stage to hear every note (if you can secure a seat).
If you’re looking for a break from north side festival prices, there is a solution for at least two days a summer. Go west (fest)!!!

This year was my first time attending West Fest and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Vendor Booths: I didn’t spend much time perusing the booths, but from what I could tell, they were your standard street fest booths: jewelry, stuff for your dog, some local stuff. Honestly, I didn’t pay much attention. (The only booths I really care about are at the Renegade.)
Food: Also pretty standard. The best I saw and tasted was the Polish food tent. Mmm… so good.
Music: I didn’t spend any time at the Damen stage. What I overheard, though, was pretty offensive to the ear. I spent most of my time at the Lava DJ stage at Wood. So fun! Showed up for Million $ Mano, Rocktapussy, and Klever. All very solid sets!
Beer: What the f is the deal with street fests serving 9 and 12oz beers for the same price you ought to be paying for a full pint? $ 4 for a miniature PBR? Really? Whoever decides these portion sizes and prices is an asshole.
Despite the high cost of beer, you should go to this fest next year. Also, I saw lots of people walking around with the High Life and other rando containers. So… maybe just bring your own booze, or buy it at the corner store.