FAQs

Vendor Inquiries

• I'm interested in participating as a food vendor at Smokeout.

  Thank you for your interest in participating at the Windy City Smokeout! Although we are full for the 2024 event, please look out for our 2025 festival application on this page later this year to officially apply.
  

• I’m interested in participating as a non-food vendor.

  Thank you for your interest in participating at the Windy City Smokeout! Although we are full for the 2024 event, please look out for our 2025 festival application on this page later this year to officially apply.
  

• Media/PR Inquiries

  Please reach out to Megan at megan@pageonepublicrelations.com and Natalie at natalie@pageonepublicrelations.com.

• Who runs your backstage hospitality/artist village?

  Summer House

Lost and Found

• Where is the lost and found located?

  Lost and found is located at Will Call. Post-festival, items will be brought to Bub City (River North location), and held for two weeks post-festival.

• How do I contact the lost and found?

  Email us at wcsmokeout@lettuce.com, or call the Bub City (River North location) at 312-610-4200.

What’s Allowed and What’s Prohibited

ALL bags and purses must be 10” x 6” x 2“ or under, with limited exceptions of medical & diaper bags. To speed up entry, leave your bags and purses at home.

• Click to See Allowed Items

  - Small clutches and purses (max size: 10” x 6” x 2”)
  - Limited exceptions for medical bags & diaper bags
  - EMPTY reusable water bottles and hydration packs, and plastic, or aluminum water bottles
  - Strollers
  - Cameras (basic point and shoot consumer-grade cameras) without detachable lenses and other accessories
  - Sunscreen in non-aerosol containers is allowed in the size of 3.4 ounces or less

• Click to See Prohibited Items

  - Coolers
  - Outside food and drink
  - Large bags (over 10" x 6" x 2")
  - Lawn/folding chairs
  - Aerosol containers, including sunscreen and personal beauty products (NOTE: Sunscreen in non-aerosol containers is allowed in the size of 3.4 ounces or less)
  - Professional audio recording equipment
  - Professional cameras and professional recording (photo, video, audio) equipment (NO large professional detachable zoom lenses, stands, monopods, tripods, attachment sticks (selfie sticks) or other commercial equipment
  - Unmanned Aircraft Systems (“Drones”) and remote controlled devices
  - Glass containers of any kind
  - Firearms, knives or weapons of any kind
  - Fireworks, explosives or smoke bombs
  - Illegal and Illicit substances of any kind
  - Airhorns or other distracting noisemakers
  - Umbrellas
  - Flag poles, staffs or sticks
  - Pets (except service animals to aid persons with disabilities)
  - Laser pointers or pens
  - Skateboards, scooters, bicycles, wagons, carts or any personal motorized vehicles
  - Tents, canopies, or shade structures of any kind
  - Unauthorized/unlicensed vendors are not allowed. No unauthorized solicitation and materials including handbills, flyers, stickers, beach balls, giveaways, samples, etc.
  - No bike chains, bike locks, or wallet chains (that exceed 12” in length & 1” in width)
  - Costumes or masks, which obscure or cover one’s face(safety face masks, such as surgical & N95s are acceptable)
  - Clothing or signage with offensive or vulgar language or blocks attendees view of entertainment
  - Any other items deemed dangerous or inappropriate
  - Anything over 10” x 6” x 2” (with the limited exception of medical & diaper bags)

Hours & Will Call/Box Office

• What are the hours of the Windy City Smokeout?

  Thursday: 2:00 pm - 10:00 pm
  Friday: 2:00 pm - 10:00 pm
  Saturday: 1:00 pm - 10:00 pm
  Sunday: 1:00 pm - 10:00 pm

• Will there be an off-site Will Call/Box Office this year?

  Yes, off-site wristband pick up will be available at the following locations:
  
  Monday, July 8 • 3:00 PM - 6:00 PM at Happy Camper Old Town
  
  Tuesday, July 9 • 3:00 PM - 6:00 PM at Bub City River North

• What are the festival's Will Call/Box Office hours?

  Thursday, July 11: 10:00 am - 9:00 pm
  Friday, July 12: 12:30 pm - 9:00 pm
  Saturday, July 13: 12:30 pm - 9:00 pm
  Sunday, July 14: 12:30 pm - 8:00 pm
  

• Where will the Will Call/Box Office be located?

  Will Call/Box Office will be located at the intersection of Madison Street and Wood Street in Chicago, just outside the main entrance to the festival.

How To Get Here

• Where is the festival located?

  The festival will take place in United Center Parking Lot C, located at 1901 West Madison St. Chicago, IL 60612.

• Where is the festival entrance?

  The entrance is located at Madison and Wood.

• I’m not from Chicago. Where should I stay?

  We recommend staying at a hotel in the West Loop, the downtown Loop, or River North neighborhoods. Outside of hotels, there are many Airbnb options throughout the city as well.

• Do you have specific rideshare instructions?

  All rideshares will pick up and drop off in Lot E located at Madison and Wood in the United Center's Uber Lot.

• Is the festival accessible by public transit?

  Yes, but we suggest considering rideshare options before public transportation.

• Do you have parking?

  We recommend using public transportation or a rideshare service. There is an Uber lot located in Lot E.
  
  Limited, prepaid parking options in three official United Center lots will be available for each day of Windy City Smokeout.
  
  East Lot - 1624 West Madison St., Chicago, IL 60612
  
  
  Lot D - 119 S. Wood St. (Corner of Wood St. and Monroe St.)
  
  
  South Malcolm X Garage - 214 S. Wood St. (Corner of Wood St. and Adams St.)

  Purchase Parking Here

Health and Safety

The safety of our guests, staff, etc. is of paramount importance to the Windy City Smokeout. View our full safety policy. 

• Where is the first aid tent located?

  First aid will be located near the main entrance on the south side of Madison.

• Where are the restrooms?

  Restrooms are located throughout the festival. Our VIP and Platinum Decks have their own bathroom access.

• Do you provide on-site security?

  Yes, the Windy City Smokeout works closely with the City of Chicago Police Department in addition to our internal security team.

• Can I bring my service dog?

  Yes, all service animals are permitted on festival grounds.
  

• Is there a nursing room onsite?

  There will be a tented area directly behind (South) of our Medical Tent. The Medical Tent is located on Madison Street, just past our gates/entry.

Accessibility

• Is the festival ADA friendly?

  Seating, parking, and restrooms to accommodate guests with disabilities will be available. ADA guests may bring one designated companion guest into the ADA section. All guests in the accessible seating area must have a paid ticket. Service animals are permitted. If you have questions regarding specific accommodations, please contact us at wcsmokeout@lettuce.com.

  Email us your ADA Questions.

• Do you provide wheelchairs?

  The United Center does not provide wheelchairs, but you are welcome to bring your own.

Weather

• What happens in the event of rain/inclement weather?

  The festival will go on as planned rain or shine. In the event of severe weather, festival goers will be evacuated. Please note that we do not offer refunds of any kind. We recommend purchasing ticket insurance at check out.

Wristbands

• Help! I have a problem with my wristband.

  For any wristband issues, please email FrontGate Tickets at order-support@frontgatetickets.com. Please include "Windy City Smokeout - Chicago, IL" in the subject line and your 8-digit Order ID, the last 4 digits of the card used to purchase, the telephone number listed on your order and a brief summary of your issue in the body of your email.
  
  If you bought a ticket on a third-party sites (StubHub, Vivid Seats, Eventbrite, etc.), please reach out to that site directly with any questions or issues. We cannot confirm or access any ticket information for purchases made on third-party sites.

  Reach out to wcsmokeout@lettuce.com for all other questions.

• How do I change my shipping address?

  You can change your shipping address by signing into your FrontGate Tickets account, selecting "Order History", and finding your order. Once you've selected your order, select "View Order Detail" and scroll down to the bottom of the page. Select "Edit" next to "Shipping Address", update the address, and then select "Save". You will receive green text confirming your address update, as well as an email confirmation.
   
  Please note - you cannot change the address once orders start to ship. There will be an email sent out prior to that happening, reminding everyone to check and confirm their shipping address.

  Click here for instructions on updating your shipping address!

• Can I buy my wristbands from third-party sites or sellers like StubHub, Vivid Seats, Eventbrite, etc.?

  Do NOT purchase tickets from other third-party sites or people. They are not authorized sellers and we cannot guarantee the legitimacy of tickets. To be safe, you should only purchase through our website or the TicketMaster Verified Ticket Exchange.

  Ticketmaster Verified Ticket Exchange

• What are the differences between VIP and Platinum VIP?

  VIP
  - Elevated and Shaded Viewing Areas
  - Air conditioned bathrooms
  - Access to private cash bars
  - Complimentary mobile charging stations
  - Official Windy City Smokeout Welcome gift
  
  
  Platinum
  - Deluxe Climate Controlled Upper Deck and Shaded Viewing Areas
  - Stage Pit Viewing Access
  - Top shelf beer/wine/cocktails included
  - VIP parking access with golf cart service to and from festival grounds
  - Air conditioned bathrooms
  - $25 BBQ Bucks preloaded onto wristbands
  - Curated BBQ service in private dining area

• Do wristbands include food?

  Tickets cover admission to the festival. All food and drink are an additional cost. Vendors sell the bulk of their items for around $8 - $13 and side items for around $6 - 7.

• Does my child need a wristband?

  Children 10 and under will be admitted at no charge (excluding the VIP and Platinum sections). Any guest accompanying a child in the VIP or Platinum section must purchase a ticket for that child.

• How do I book the cabanas?

  Thank you for your interest in booking a cabana. Please reach out to our special events team windycitysmokeoutevents@lettuce.com for pricing and details.

  Send a note to our cabana team.

• A group of my friends and I are planning on attending. Are there group packages/discounts?

  All group inquiries are handled by our special events team.

  Send a note to our parties team.

• When will my wristbands arrive?

  Wristbands are mailed a few weeks prior to the festival. Our ticketing provider, FrontGate, will provide an email with tracking information (including a link) that will have the most up-to-date information on your order.

• What if my wristband shows up damaged?

  If you received a damaged wristband in the mail, please hold on to the wristband to exchange at Will Call prior to entering the festival grounds.

• Can I exit and re-enter the festival with my wristband?

  Yes, you can exit and re-enter as long as your wristband stays on.

• What information do I need to provide to pick up my wristband at will call?

  To pick up wristbands at will call, please provide the confirmation number and a photo ID matching the name on the wristband, or a photo ID matching the name on the wristband.

• Can I re-sell my wristband?

  You can check our Verified Ticketmaster Exchange Resale site, as we suggest that people looking to sell their tickets use this site instead of any other 3rd party vendors: 
  
  https://www.ticketexchangebyticketmaster.com/seg246/windy-city-smokeout-tickets/event/31853
  
  Please note that BBQ Brunch tickets cannot be sold on our Verified Ticketmaster Exchange Resale site.

Wristband Registration

• How do I register my wristband?

  Head to the link below and follow the instructions!

  Wristband Registration

• I have issues registering my wristbands. Help?

  Please reach out to support@billfoldpos.com.

  Please reach out to support@billfoldpos.com

• Do I need a wristband?

  Yes, your wristband is your ticket and will need to be worn to be admitted to the festival.

• Is Windy City Smokeout a cashless event?

  Yes, we are a cashless event. You can add funds to your wristband for food and drink purchases. We also accept credit cards, debit cards, and Apple Pay.

• Do I need to register my wristband?

  Although wristband registration is not required, we recommend registering your wristband in advance for easier use when purchasing food or drinks at the festival.

  wristband registration