Week 1: Planning for Urban Streets Festivals

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Consultation has concluded

Planning through Street Festivals

Can festivals be tools for social change? In this interactive session, learn how the logistics and processes of festival planning critically engage the city around arts, culture, and place-making. Eric Williams - the founder and CEO of Silver Room Block Party, a music festival that brings together talented, independent artists - will provide insight into the uniqueness of community festivals and how street festivals relate to nearby institutions and businesses. Eric will share the story of Silver Room Block Party's history, growth, and values. By the end of the session, you will leave with a greater understanding of this iconic festival and apply festival planning concepts in a short analysis for a festival of your choosing.

View a recording of the session here.


About this Page

This is the landing page for our first week on urban street festivals. Please feel free to explore the tools below and to the right of this post to gain a better understanding of what you can look forward to in this session.

  • Check out Pre-session Content below to familiarize yourself with relevant resources put together by the sessions leaders. These tools will help you form a foundation for the week's session. Take a look through them before the session on Thursday.
  • Let's Talk functions the same as the one found on the FLIP homepage. The only difference is that discussions are catered towards urban street festivals. Give us some insight to your experiences!
  • Quick Thoughts functions similarly to the homepage's Get to Know Your Peers. Answer some quick questions about your exposure to urban street festivals - whether you have or haven't gone to one, let us know!
  • Session documents can be found to the right. There, you'll find documents that we'll use during the sessions.
  • You can find out more about your session leaders under Meet the Team.
  • At the end of the week, head on over to Festival Reflection, where you can share festival images and reflections using principles you learned during your session. Fill this out at the end of session to wrap up your first week of FLIP!

Click here to go back to the FLIP homepage.

Planning through Street Festivals

Can festivals be tools for social change? In this interactive session, learn how the logistics and processes of festival planning critically engage the city around arts, culture, and place-making. Eric Williams - the founder and CEO of Silver Room Block Party, a music festival that brings together talented, independent artists - will provide insight into the uniqueness of community festivals and how street festivals relate to nearby institutions and businesses. Eric will share the story of Silver Room Block Party's history, growth, and values. By the end of the session, you will leave with a greater understanding of this iconic festival and apply festival planning concepts in a short analysis for a festival of your choosing.

View a recording of the session here.


About this Page

This is the landing page for our first week on urban street festivals. Please feel free to explore the tools below and to the right of this post to gain a better understanding of what you can look forward to in this session.

  • Check out Pre-session Content below to familiarize yourself with relevant resources put together by the sessions leaders. These tools will help you form a foundation for the week's session. Take a look through them before the session on Thursday.
  • Let's Talk functions the same as the one found on the FLIP homepage. The only difference is that discussions are catered towards urban street festivals. Give us some insight to your experiences!
  • Quick Thoughts functions similarly to the homepage's Get to Know Your Peers. Answer some quick questions about your exposure to urban street festivals - whether you have or haven't gone to one, let us know!
  • Session documents can be found to the right. There, you'll find documents that we'll use during the sessions.
  • You can find out more about your session leaders under Meet the Team.
  • At the end of the week, head on over to Festival Reflection, where you can share festival images and reflections using principles you learned during your session. Fill this out at the end of session to wrap up your first week of FLIP!

Click here to go back to the FLIP homepage.

Festival Reflection

Connect concepts from this session with a specific festival example! Share your insights for all four prompts.

  1. Choose one of the following: 
    1. a festival photo from your own photo collection
    2. a drawing of a festival that already exists or a festival you’d like to create
    3. a festival photo you found online 

  2. Answer the following questions about your festival. You can provide additional information or a narrative if you like.  
    1. Access: Is the festival in a public or private space, or are there elements of both?  What are the boundaries of the festival and how are they marked?  Is the festival accessible to everyone?
    2. Connection: Does the festival have a theme?  Does the festival have a strong connection to the place it is held in terms of design, culture, language, or food?  Does it attract mostly local people or people from out of town? 
    3. Impact: What is the impact of the festival? Who profits financially from the festival? Is any group negatively impacted by the festival?  

  3. Post your photo or drawing along with your answers.  

  4. Look at other submissions and enjoy!
Thank you for sharing your story with us.
CLOSED: This discussion has concluded.
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    Lollapalooza

    by Nishchay, almost 4 years ago


    I want to go to Lollapalooza again. Its in a public space and there are marked boundaries during the event. The Festival is accessible to anyone who buys a ticket online. The festival has a summer theme but its not based on any culture except american music cultures. It more attracts local people but there are plenty of people from out of town there as well. No groups are really negatively impacted by the festival.

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    Honolulu Festival

    by morinjc, almost 4 years ago



    Honolulu Festival is a three-day event celebrating the relationship between Hawaiʻi and the Pacific Rim region. If you go you can gain a rich cultural experience with crafts, dance performances, and art demonstrations. The event culminates with a Grand Parade that starts from Saratoga Road and continues through Kalakaua Avenue. Everybody on the island usually comes and it is a really fun festival to go to. The festival happened earlier this year at the beginning of March before COVID-19 struck.

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    Baconfest

    by dsaavedra, almost 4 years ago

    1. Access: It's in a private space, more like a convention. It's in the Isadore and Sadie Dorin Forum and you need to purchase tickets to attend.
    2. Connection: The theme is bacon. I think there is connection to the meat packing plants that used to thrive in Chicago years ago.
    3. Impact: People get to know local vendors and the vendors profit from the exposure. Also a portion of event proceeds go to support the Food Depository’s programs so that's good.
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    The Sandwich Fair

    by Ellie217, almost 4 years ago

    The Sandwich Fair is held in a town called Sandwich, Illinois, which it is named for. It takes place in a public space and is blocked by ropes spanning the outside of the fair. The fair is accessible to anyone who can pay to enter. The festival is like 'carnival meets farmers market meets county fair' as the fair has many attractions from each of these fairs. There are carnival rides like a Ferris wheel, carnival games and foods, as well as fresh produce and animal competitions. The fair hosts many vendors that sell everything from small blown glass pieces... Continue reading

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    Urban High Street

    by tbmchicago90, almost 4 years ago

    The festival could contain any cause or subject matter, however the setup would be a relevant, local high street that promotes Walkability. The festival will also need t be near public transit so it can be easily accessible.Storefronts and street venders would work in tandem to creat an atmosphere that displays the culture of the neighborhood. Once dark, warm over lighting will surround everyone to promote calm and togetherness.

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    Yo-Yo Ma at Millenium Park

    by Rhea Banerjee, almost 4 years ago

    1.

    2. a. This one day music festival, where Yo-Yo Ma played the Bach Suites for Cello, was in Millenium Park, which is a public space. The boundaries where the park itself, and it was fenced in with one entrance. It was a free concert, but limited to the space available.

    b. The theme was based on Yo-Yo Ma's Bach Project, which had the intent of spreading music among others, but more specifically Bach's music. I assume it was both local and people from out of town, as my friends and I were out of town.

    c. There weren't any... Continue reading

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    Ribfest

    by Alexboca21, almost 4 years ago

    For the festival you have to purchase tickets beforehand. Its in a public/private space, yes it is accesible to all if you buy a ticket. The theme of the festival is ribs and barbecue. Last year it was hosted in Romeoville/Naperville and it was suppose to have the same location this year. It’s usually in the start of July. Due to the COVID-19, it was sadly canceled. It’s fenced in with all of the food trucks/stands. Yes, it attracts not only the members of the communtiy but many outside people as well. Mix of local and out of town. It... Continue reading