ChicagoFest: The Greatest Music Festival You've Never Heard Of

Before Lollapalooza. Before Pitchfork Fest. There was ChicagoFest — and for a few glorious years at the end of the 1970s and early 80s, it was the biggest party in the city.

Ten Days on the Lakefront

ChicagoFest launched in 1978 at Navy Pier. Multiple stages, dozens of acts, food, beer, and the Chicago skyline as a backdrop — running ten days each August and drawing hundreds of thousands of people. The lineup was eclectic: rock acts sharing bills with blues legends and country artists, staged against one of the most beautiful urban settings in the world.

The Boycott and the End

In 1981, Rev. Jesse Jackson and Operation PUSH called for a boycott to protest Mayor Jane Byrne's policies toward the Black community. It was remarkably effective — attendance dropped, major artists pulled out, and the festival never fully recovered. ChicagoFest ran its last edition in 1983. For those who were there, it remains one of those memories that gets better with time.

The ChicagoFest Retro T-shirt, Baseball Tee, and Sticker are for everyone who remembers — or wishes they'd been there. Find them in the Chicago collection.