I haven’t attended a large-scale country music concert in years. It’s not my top genre, although I’ve been known to hit up a honky-tonk or bluegrass show.
So I appreciated the opportunity to cover Windy City Lakeshake, a three-day country festival, for DNAinfo. It was a gorgeous weather weekend on the lakefront at First Merit Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island. They may be city folk, but I learned that Chicago’s country fans are…lively.
You can check out my full coverage here:
Windy City LakeShake Festival In Photos: Country Music, Cowboys & Cowgirls
Windy City LakeShake Festival In Photos: The Final Day Of The Fest
The main stage hosted big names like Tim Mcgraw and Brooks and Dunn, who played their first show together in six years.
The “Next from Nashville” stage featured up-and-coming country acts like Tara Thompson and William Michael Morgan. The tiny crowds and passionate performances made this my favorite stage of the weekend.
Outside of the music, activities like life-sized foosball and skee-ball kept festival goers busy. Boozy slushies and carnival rides were also a hit, although hopefully not enjoyed together.
By weekend’s end, Windy City Lakeshake helped attendees find the country in the heart of the big city, if only for a few days.
Jessica Mlinaric founded Urban Explorer in 2010 to inspire curious travelers by highlighting history, culture, and hidden gems in Chicago and beyond. She is the author of ‘Secret Chicago’ and ‘Chicago Scavenger.’ Jessica has visited 20+ countries and 30+ U.S. states. She has more than 16 years of experience as a marketing strategist and works as a freelance writer and photographer.
