As summer approaches, many citizens of the Quad Cities are in tricky situations trying to decide between attending the Mississippi Valley Fair and Lollapalooza.
The Mississippi Valley fair is one of the largest celebrations in the Quad Cities, located in Davenport. Lollapalooza, alternatively, is around 3 hours away in historic Grant Park under Chicago’s skyline and on the coasts of Lake Michigan.
The fair is known for its variety of activities including car shows, concerts, dirt track racing, flea markets and trade shows. Whilst Lollapalooza is world renowned for their epic music performances, they also offer food, drinks and desserts from some of Chicago’s best restaurants.
Both events take place over Aug. 1-4, but the fair lasts through Aug. 6 . Seeing as both are direct competitors, their safety values are very important to buyers.
Mississippi Valley Fair allows bags, blankets, sleeping bags and similar items, but all posessions are subject to being searched. Prohibited items include alcohol, food, drinks and any kind of weapons. To ensure the safest environment possible, only fun card holders are allowed admission after 9 p.m. after the creation of a new rule.
Scott County Sheriff Tim Lane, general manager of the fairground, explained the new guidelines. “What they find is that a lot of the crowd shows up after 9, they have not had fun cards in the past.” Lane explained. “They come in and there’s a little bit of a ruckus. And some of the people enjoying the fair have wanted to leave a little bit early. They wanted to prevent that. And I think they’ve done a good job. I think it’s a good decision. We’re noticing that the crowd is staying very friendly and having a good time right up until closing.”
Senior Drew Geerts is doubtful of this new regulation., “I think that safety is important and they need to take steps to ensure peoples safety but I also feel there are more effective ways to do so,” Geerts said.
Lollapalooza has similar safety protocols. Officials shared that for the safety of everyone entering the festival, all fans are subject to a full and complete airport-style search prior to entry. Additionally, backpacks with zippered compartments are not allowed and bags must be clear if those with a four-day pass.
Having a four-day pass allows people to come and go as they please. Senior Finley Dalton gave her insight on requiring clear bags. “I think it’s necessary because Chicago isn’t the safest place and people are coming from all over and it’s the best way to protect everyone’s safety,” she said.
The music festival also takes harassment very seriously, expressing many times on their website that they have a zero tolerance policy for any type of harassment.
Both organizations try to have a mixture of music genres. The fair typically has more rock, hip hop and country artists while Lollapalooza includes rock, pop, dance, hip hop, folk, R&B and a little bit of country. Mississippi Valley Fair has one act a night, allowing everyone to see all artists, but lacks variety. Alternatively, Lollapalooza has a variety of acts, hosting 170+ bands from all over the world. Unfortunately, there are 8 separate stages, so seeing all the bands is not possible.
Mississippi Valley Fair runs from 7:00 a.m. – midnight so there’s time to explore the rides and other activities. Lollapalooza runs from noon to 10 p.m. daily. Due to city regulations, the festival does not run late– attendees can expect the music to end by 10 each day, but have the large and exciting city of Chicago to explore after.
Geerts believes he might prefer the latter. “I would rather go to Lollapalooza because of the environment and getting to explore the city after sounds much more fun than the Mississippi Valley Fair,” he said..
Lollapalooza is much more expensive, where a four-day pass costs $385, although it hosts 170+ bands world wide. A 7-day pass for the fair costs anywhere from $105-130 depending on date of purchase. In addition, Lollapalooza is geared towards young adults and Mississippi Valley fair is more family friendly.
Although it is a tough choice among Quad City citizens, it’s impossible to go wrong. Both options have fun and diverse atmospheres. Music lovers can relax because either Mississippi Valley Fair or Lollapalooza is the perfect fit.
