In 2019, we took our first family trip to Lollapalooza and to our surprise, absolutely loved it. Kids under 10 years are free and at the time, Mila was 6 months and Noah was 3 years old. There is a big Kidzapalooza area, which is family-friendly with lots to do.

There’s a big kid’s area with a kid’s stage, performers, instruments, etc. Tattoos, face painting, photo booths, and more. All are included in an adult ticket. Even air-conditioned bathrooms! Last year, the kids even decorated and personalized their own backpacks.

Here are some things that made the entire experience at Lollapalooza really easy for our family. Hopefully, these are helpful if you are thinking about going this summer!

Supplies:

• We took this stroller. It’s the best travel stroller there is. It’s super lightweight (around 11 pounds) and Mila took her naps in it all day. There’s a little storage below too. I traveled a lot with it.
• Everyone wears comfy, close-toed shoes. Darker clothing or clothes you aren’t worried about staining and sweating through. You can see what I will be wearing here.
• We used this Baby Bjorn to carry Mila which was SUPER helpful! We loved this one because it’s the most back supportive.
• Empty water bottle! Hydration stations are everywhere.
• Some other supplies we brought were baby wipes, diapers, and bottle + formula. We didn’t bring snacks because we just bought food there.
• You are also allowed to bring in a blanket or large beach towel. Very helpful if you are planning on staying for a while. We’ve brought this one before, it folds up and is waterproof.

Transportation:

Take the train! Or any type of public transportation. You won’t find parking or will have to pay a million dollars for it. We took the brown line and there was a super short walk to the main entrance.

If you need to drive, I would definitely do Spot Hero, but prices will most likely be pretty expensive. We have parked in the Millennium Park garage before, it takes you right there. Pretty convenient.

Kidzapalooza:

The Kidzapalooza area is awesome. There’s so much to do. They have young adult bands, sing-alongs with instruments, face painting, balloons, etc. The family-friendly area is close to the main stages so it’s easy to listen to performers there. Manny and I just took turns going closer to the stage when we wanted to hear certain performers.

There’s also a lot of cool food and beverage vendors to check out like this wine selfie slushy from Cupcake wine, Dunkin’, Shake Shack, Maybelline (they had a skating rink one year), etc. The food has gotten better over the years and more local vendors are popping up. Lines get long, so I recommend eating early.

Tips:

I hope some of this is helpful! Let me know if you are thinking about going or have any questions, DM me at @thechicagogoodlife. If you want some other Chicago things, check them out here!

Christine