Restaurants in Chicago are pivotal to neighborhood street festivals, donating resources and selling food. Post-COVID struggles have emerged, leading to a coalition, Save Our Festivals, voicing concerns over financial sustainability due to rising costs and declining donations despite high attendance. A letter highlighted that Wicker Park Fest, despite record attendance, saw its lowest donations in 2024, prompting significant changes. Many restaurants are feeling the pinch from a labor shortage, complicating their participation in festivals that could otherwise drive essential foot traffic to their businesses.
Without these public events driving foot traffic and local spending in the area, small businesses, many of which rely on a single weekend of festival crowds for a significant portion of their annual revenue, will be severely affected.
Despite record-breaking attendance, Wicker Park Fest attracted its least amount of donations in 2024, prompting organizers to reduce the festival’s footprint this year and eliminate a stage for live music.
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