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NORTH LAWNDALE — A music festival that earned the ire of North Lawndale neighbors last summer is moving to the opposite side of the city.
Heatwave, a dance music and arts festival held last summer in the West Side’s Douglass Park, will be at the lakefront’s Northerly Island this June. The new location has been listed in Heatwave emails and on its website.
The move comes after West Side neighbors organized throughout the summer and fall to reclaim Douglass Park, which saw three festivals — Heatwave, Riot Fest and Lyrical Lemonade Summer Smash — that closed down parts of the park to neighbors for weeks at a time.
Some neighborhood youth programs and sports teams had to relocate due to the closures, while neighbors said they ran into issues like trash and glass being left in the park after the events departed. They held protests and met with officials.
Eventually, in November, the Park District pledged to give all Chicagoans more of a say in what events happen at their neighborhood parks.
Now, Heatwave will be held June 10-11 at Northerly Island. Its full lineup is set to be announced Friday.
Representatives for the music fest did not immediately respond to questions about the move.
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