Chicago is undoubtedly the place to be between June and October.
The city is alive with energy and excitement during summer, and residents and visitors alike can’t get enough of the action. One event that has become a highlight of the summer calendar is the Hyde Park Summer Fest, which occurred over two days in Midway Plaisance Park.
The festival featured live concerts, various vendors, and a diverse crowd from all walks of life. One of the festival’s most significant draws is its focus on Black-owned businesses and entrepreneurs. From high-end fashion houses to independent beer companies, the vendors at Summer Fest represent the very best of Chicago’s thriving Black business community.
This is an opportunity for attendees to support local businesses and discover new products and services they may have yet to encounter.
Summer Fest, formerly the Hyde Park Brew Fest, has a rich history and was started by Black businessmen Dave Jeff and Johnathan Swain. Jeff is a renowned designer and owner of PHLI, a unique urban fashion boutique. Swain is the former owner of Kimbark Beverage Shoppe, President of LINK Unlimited Scholars and a one-time candidate for Illinois 1st congressional district.
The festival is an outgrowth of their businesses and commitment to Hyde Park. After seven years of growth and success, the Brew Fest outgrew its original location and found new investors to support its continued expansion. The move to Midway Plaisance Park was significant and presented various challenges that Jeff, Swain, and Nosa Ehimwenman must overcome.
The greatest challenge of the festival’s growth is how organizers design an event for the community that maintains its original identity. Corporatization is excellent for financial gain but frequently alienates those most vested in the original concept.
As the city gentrifies and new residents occupy new spaces, the ethnic nuances that once brought value to those communities’ lived experiences can now appear obnoxious or foreign.Â
The old residents find themselves trying to hold on to what was while the new residents usher in what will become. It’s an awkward dance! A dance that the Hyde Park festival, at least from the outside, looks like it’s awkwardly trying to accommodate.
The Summer Fest was born on 53rd Street. With its growth, it’s now in its second year on the Midway. The differences between the two locations highlight how the community is changing. Fifty-third is the heart of Hyde Park, and it’s the hub of all cultural and economic activity in the area.
Conversely, the Midway is on the neighborhood’s outskirts, and it’s more of a college hangout than anything else. The University of Chicago owns it, and you’ll see students skating on the ice in the winter or playing frisbee in the summer. Aside from Summer Fest, only some events would draw Hyde Park residents to the Midway.
The distances between the entrance, the performers, and the vendors strip the attendee of the feeling of community and evoke the energy of being a customer.Â
The featured music artists included 2 Chainz, Jonathan McReynolds, Robert Glasper, Tobe Nwigwe, Uncle Waffles, Terry Hunter, Twista, Shawnna, Do Or Die, Crucial Conflict, Vic Mensa, Lil Kim, as well as the reunion of brothers Pusha T and No Malice as the duo Clipse.
As a hip-hop head, I assumed Clipse and Lil Kim as the headliners would be the stars of their respective evenings, but I was presently surprised by 2 Chainz and newcomer Tobe Nwigwe and his wife, who absolutely tore the stage down.
Of course, the festival is about much more than just shopping and entertainment. It’s a chance for the community to come together and celebrate their shared history and culture.
One attendee said, “I like Summer Fest when it’s like a family reunion, but with thousands of people you’ve never met before.”
The atmosphere is electric, with everyone sharing a joy and camaraderie that was infectious.
The opinions expressed in this column are that of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of the Chicago Defender.Â
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