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Riot Fest Moving To Douglas Park

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Facing backlash from the Humboldt Park community for damage caused by last year's festival, organizers of Riot Fest have moved the annual punk rock bash to Douglas Park.

Riot Fest drew about 150,000 fans to Humboldt Park over three days last year, and some local residents said the damage left behind was too much.

"The park was left with stench, urine stench. There was vomit everywhere," one woman said.

Billed as the largest independent music festival in North America, the festival has found a new home in Douglas Park in the North Lawndale neighborhood, after it wore out its welcome with the local alderman, after $182,000 in damage was caused to the fields at Humboldt Park.

Ald. Roberto Maldonado (26th) called the damage in Humboldt Park "unacceptable," and said he did not support allowing it to return to Humboldt Park this year.

Riot Fest organizers have said they paid $150,000 repair damage caused by a mix of heavy rain and large crowds last year, and claimed other damage at the park is the result of problems that existed long before the festival began using Humboldt Park in 2012.

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Maldonado decided the festival was no longer welcome in Humboldt Park, but Ald. George Cardenas (12th) welcomed the festival to Douglas Park with open arms.

Cardenas said, if Riot Fest organizers put up a bond, he and others will be assured there won't be a repeat of the unrepaired damage to green areas, and problems in the neighborhoods around Humboldt Park last year.

"I'm embracing it," he said. "I think music transcends. This is what keeps the soul alive. I think the city of Chicago comes alive in the summertime because of its music."

He said he feels Douglas Park will be a better fit for the three-day festival, as well.

"The neighborhood is not as close to it as Humboldt Park is. There are no lagoons in there. It's just open space. It's good for them to have a fest. They play soccer in that field, so it's got to be replaced every year. It may be a benefit, really, to that park, because we're going to be constantly improving that park," he said.

Some residents disagree.

"I don't think it should be in the park," said Gloria Woodruff. "I think it will be demolished."

Newly-elected Ald. Michael Scott Jr. (24th), a former Park District official whose ward borders on Douglas Park, said if there's good public input, Riot Fest could be good for the area.

Moving the event to Douglas Park will not affect the schedule for Riot Fest, which will be held the weekend of Sept. 11 to Sept. 13.

Riot Fest founder Michael Petryshyn said he was "silently ecstatic" after his first meeting with Cardenas, to discuss logistics for the festival, and "how we could enrich the community.

"He wanted to know more about staging, production, staffing and myriad small details many elected officials would never think to ask. Analytical minds in the festival world are a commodity and I was impressed with how Alderman Cardenas saw the big picture in the details," Petryshyn said in a news release. "He gets it and it was genuine. And that's half the battle when staging a festival. We are so very excited to get to know our new neighbors and to work with them to hold an event that is beneficial to the community, local businesses and the residents. Essentially, everything we have brought to Humboldt Park over the last three years."

Riot Fest organizers accused those opposed to keeping the festival in Humboldt Park of trying to "divide the community with unfair and unjust tactics that in no way represent the overwhelming majority of the Humboldt Park residents and businesses."

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