Lollapalooza Left Grant Park A Muddy Mess Again

By Chuck Sudo in News on Aug 5, 2014 2:30PM

Image credit: CBS Chicago

As expected, Sunday's rains coupled with over 100,000 people at Lollapalooza left Grant Park in a state of disrepair. Some parts of the park were left a muddy mess more akin to a truck pull than a major festival.

Image via NBC Chicago

Bad as these photos look, both the Park District, Lollapalooza promoter C3 Presents and the Grant Park Conservancy advocacy group agree the damage is nowhere near what it was in 2011, when the damage went beyond the fields and into flower plantings and other sensitive areas of the park.

That year, it cost over $800,000 to restore Grant Park. The cost for repairs, which is absorbed by C3 per their contract with the city, have stayed in the $200,000 range in recent years and is expected to reach that number this year.

Still, don't expect to play softball at Hutchinson Field for a while.