Written by Dustin Ford
The Windy City Smokeout Festival is Chicago’s biggest summer barbeque, and this year’s is looking to be the biggest one yet. The festival will be held at the United Center Parking Lot C at 1901 W Madison St. from July 12th to the 14th; the gates open at 2 pm. Get your tickets ASAP!
The Food
Twenty pitmasters from all over the US come together to display the best smoked meats they have to offer. If you can smoke it with fine hardwoods, then you can find it here. Expect to see slow-cooked, mouthwatering short ribs, cheeses, turkey breast, pulled pork, sausages, tacos, pork belly, and much more.
The Tunes
It wouldn’t be the Smokeout Festival without live Country Music. This year’s lineup features world-renowned and up-and-coming talent, such as Old Dominion, Cole Swindell, Chris Young, and Lanco. There are over 29 different bands and artists performing throughout the weekend.
The Beer
It wouldn’t be a Chicago Festival without beer. There are several local and national breweries showing up to make sure no one is thirsty. You’ll find a list of all the breweries coming to the Windy City Smokeout here.
Special Events
There are some noteworthy events that you should take advantage of if you plan to visit. Once the gates open on Friday, there will be a happy hour until 5 PM. This means all domestic and craft beers will be $4. Later at 3:30 PM, you can enjoy a killer combo at the Knob Creek whiskey and Ham tasting class. Tokyo’s famous Wagyumafia returns to Chicago on Saturday to offer the Big Wag Burger, Chef Hisato Hamada’s praised reimagining of the Big Mac burger. Start off Sunday with Erin Oprea’s high-energy workout class (you’ll need it at that point), then enjoy a BBQ brunch and then hop into the Casamigos Tequila mixology class. In addition, you can pull up a chair at the BBQ Bar with Myron Mixon any time during the festival.
This Smokeout is sure to be an awesome blowout unless you are a pig.
Be sure to check out our blog for more cool things to do.
