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Photos: Chicago held a contest for stage time at Riot Fest. This teen punk rock band won.

suntimes.com · 4h · first reportShare

It was a dreary afternoon, but that didn’t stop North Lawndale and Little Village residents from coming out to the End of Summer Celebration thrown by Ald. Monique Scott (24th) in Douglass Park. That park will soon be the site of Riot Fest, a popular three-day music festival running Sept. 18-20 this year. The live showcase was in partnership with the festival, which brings thousands of punk rock aficionados to the area every fall. Earlier in the summer, Scott’s office and Riot Fest put out a callout for community bands to submit their music for a chance to perform at the festival in September. Members of the band Large Mouth strike a synchronized pose on stage during their performance at the Community Talent Showcase in Douglass Park in North Lawndale. Victor Hilitski/For the Sun-Times More than 100 local acts applied for the opportunity, but only nine were selected for the showcase to vie for the coveted spot on 2026’s bill, featuring such headliners as Twenty One Pilots, Tool and Pie