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This weekend I spent three days at Union Park for the Pitchfork Music Festival 2012 (as my good friend Colleen O’Connor refers to it). The first two days were rainy, but we managed to stay dry thanks to Colleen bringing trash bags. I rocked that trash bag like a shirt for most of days one and two. Day three was all about extreme heat, but we stayed hydrated and took cover under the trees or sprawled out on a blanket to cool down. Three days on a rainbow blanket. Three days of sweat. Three days of songs (which are my favorite). Three days of friends. Three days of festival food. Three days of Heineken (which is not my favorite). By now you know that I love a list (oh yes I do), so here are a few lists to document the merriment that was had this weekend at the Pitchfork Music Festival 2012.

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Food (there’s a ton, but perhaps not as much as last year, because Taste of Chicago was going on and I think that some vendors just chose not to do both.)

Day One: Food – Vegan Reuben from Chicago Diner – This one I wouldn’t recommend. The sauce was right, the horseradish was right, but it was served on a strange wheat bun, which I know was Vegan friendly, but it just didn’t have a “bread-like” consistency. And the “meat”… Clearly it wasn’t, and I knew this when I ordered it, but I’m not exactly sure what it was… The consistency, like the bread was all wrong. And thus began my search for a more delicious option at the Pitchfork Music Festival 2012. (This is by no means a slam on The Chicago Diner, as this is the sole item that I’ve ever ordered that I wasn’t pleased with, and as someone who loves this diner, I am just chalking it up to the fact that it wasn’t my thing).

Day Two Food:

Vegetarian Corn Dawg from Chicago Diner – I’m no stranger to Tofurkey and Veggie dogs, so I had a feeling this would be the right option for me. And it was.

Day Three Food:

Grilled Cheese Stuffed Pretzel (from Abbey Pub, I think) – This here is the winner. Favorite festival food this year, and I didn’t even find out about it until day three, which in retrospect is probably not a bad thing.

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And then there was the music, the oh so lovely music. My favorites this year were Beach House, Flying lotus, Feist, Sleigh Bells, Cults, and Youth Lagoon. Each band put on a really good show despite the rain and extreme heat. It was wonderful to lay out on a blanket and just listen to the music when it was too hot for standing and then, later in the evening, to dance around the blanket with friends.

The wonderful thing about Chicago is that there are so many festivals to choose from and some are free or have a suggested donation of five dollars. I went to Wicker Park Fest during the last weekend of July, and in September I’ll hopefully be able to go to the two-day festival at The Hideout. Concerts in the Park at Millennium park are free, and last summer I got to see Iron & Wine while sipping on wine and eating cheese in the park.

Chicago summer’s really are a lot of fun, and with only one more month left of my summer, I plan to get in all of the festival action that I possibly can!

Oh and one last thing. This guy was rockin’ some sweet dance moves (& knee pads) . . .

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