Retro on Roscoe: A Blast From the Past

By Urbanmatter Chicago @UMatterChicago

As we’ve noted before, almost all Chicago festivals feature food & music. It seems like a new fest is sprouting up each and every day, so how do you differentiate between those that are worth seeing and those that aren’t? It’s maddening.

Luckily, you won’t have to worry about it this time around. Retro on Roscoe isn’t your usual fest for a few reasons, and we’ll tell you why.

1) It’s Retro

I mean… duh. All of the musical acts are a blast from the past, and you’ll hear all of your favorite oldies from cover bands and the like. Some of the big timers include: Sixteen Candles, Too White Crew, and Trippin’ Billies.

2) The Car Show

Not just any car show, an antique car show. Did you expect anything less? There will be over $2 million dollars in automobiles at the show. This takes place on Saturday and Sunday from 1pm-6pm so plan accordingly.

3) The Kids Area

While some of your descendants might be enthralled by the car show, we’re willing to bet that most of them won’t give a hoot. Anyone with a youngster knows about their short attention span, so without going into too much detail, let’s just say we can all appreciate the Kids Area. There will be inflatables, crafts, balloon artists (ask them to make a genie), face painting, music, and rides. All the essentials for a day of fun!

4) Nonprofit and Volunteer Based

Roscoe Village Neighbors, or RVN, is a not-for-profit organization run completely by volunteers. Retro on Roscoe is their only fundraiser, and its proceeds enable RVN to make contributions towards Roscoe Village schools, parks, and community organizations. They were able to donate $30k to Audubon Elementary School last year. It adds up.

Retro on Roscoe takes place from Friday, August 7 (5-10pm) through Sunday, August 9 (Sat & Sun, 12-10pm) at 2000 W. Roscoe St. Learn more at their official site.

Photo Credit: Funk Crusaders via funkcrusaders.com/photos