
Letโs face it: if youโre planning on attending a music festival in Chicago this summer, chances are, at some point, youโre going to need a good cup of coffee.
Maybe youโll need some coffee to fuel yourself for a day of drinking and dancing to some of your favorite bands in the sun, or maybe youโll just need it to nurse away your hangover from the previous evening. Regardless, here are some suggestions for you, based on proximity to various festivals hosted in the city this summer.
Union Park:ย Pitchfork Festivalย July 18โ20 andย North Coast Music Festivalย August 29โ31
Ugly Mug Cafรฉ
1458 West Chicago Avenue
M-F: 6am-8pm Sat: 7am-8pm Sun: 7am-7pm
With a rotating selection of local roasters, Ugly Mug keeps things fresh, local and exciting. If youโre feeling adventurous, try the โButter Coffee,โ which is blended to order with grass-fed butter and agave syrup.
La Colombe Torrefaction
955 West Randolph Street
M-F: 7:00โ7:00 Sat-Sun: 8:00โ7:00
Nice and close to festival grounds, Philadelphia-born La Colombe features its own locally-roasted blends and single origin coffees. Try getting your coffee brewed on the Alphadominche Steampunk brewer.
Grant Park:ย Lollapaloozaย August 1โ3

Dollop
343 South Dearborn St
MโF: 6amโ8pm SatโSun: 7amโ8pm
This newly opened cafรฉ just off the Jackson Blue line stop serves Metropolis coffee and baked goods, and sandwiches from Hoosier Mama pie company. They also offer ample seating room andย aย self-serve sparkling water tap so you can fill up your water-bottle in style
Intelligentsia
Monadnock Building
53 West Jackson Blvd.
M-F: 6amโ6pm Sat: 8amโ4pm Sun: Closed
A small but classic Intelligentsia location in the historic Monadnock building–it’s a little hidden, so you may luck out and miss some of the crowds of festival-goers elsewhere. Try the feature espresso, or their range of drip coffee offerings. Selections for both vary daily.
If you need a fix Sunday, there is also Intelligentsia’s busy Millenium Park location (53 East Randolph Street), just a block off the park.
Humboldt Park:ย Riot Festย September 12โ14

Caffe Streets
1750 West Division St
M-Sat:โจ7amโ8pmโจ Sun:โจ7amโ7pm
Caffe Streets has long been a Chicago specialty mainstay, featuring their ownย Metric Coffee and a rotating selection of other roasters. Caffe Streets employees make a mean cappuccino, and for those festival ultra-hangovers, you can also order your cold brew โneatโโall concentrate, no ice.
Star Lounge Coffee Bar
2521 West Chicago Ave
MโF 6amโ9pm, Sat 7amโ8pm, Sun 8amโ8pm
The flagship location for Dark Matter Coffee, Star Lounge was one of the first specialty cafes in the Humboldt Park neighborhood. Try one of their Latin-inspired lattes, which feature spices such as cayenne, habanero and rosemary.
Bonus:
Regardless of which festival youโre enjoying, if youโre planning to go to any of the after-shows hosted at Wicker Parkโs famous Double Doorย but still need one last pick-me-up, head to The Wormhole Coffee located at 1462 North Milwaukee Ave, which stays open daily until 11pm. Consider a pour-over of one of their rotating guest roasters, or a Koopa Troopa Peanut Butter Chocolate latte.
View Where to Get Coffee Before Heading to Your Favorite Chicago Music Festival in a larger map
Emily Machura is a Journalism student atย Columbia College Chicago. This is her first feature for Sprudge.com.
All photos by Emily Machura unless noted.