Pitchfork Reveals 2024 Music Festival Food Lineup

Hungry music fans will have loads of local options when the Pitchfork Music Festival returns to Chicago from Friday, July 19 through Sunday, July 21. This year, the PitchFORKED Food Court includes favorites like Chicago’s beloved Balkan sausage maker, Cevapcici, will be joined by festival newcomers like South Side vegan pioneer Soul Veg City. The festival, whose headliners include Black Pumas and Alanis Morissette, is held annually in Union Park in the West Loop.

Soul Veg City and Cevapcici are included in the 18 food vendors for general admission ticket holders ($129 for a single day). Soul Veg is one of five Pitchfork rookies. Avrom Farm, which has made a name for itself for fried chicken and waffles served at farmers markets; Chillwaukee, a Milwaukee-based ice pop seller; Josephine’s Cooking, the legendary Chicago soul food restaurant; and Sausage Fest, a Chicago-based encased meat food truck round out the additions.

For folks who opt for the Pitchfork Plus upgrade ($239 for a single day), they can try Motorshucker, an operation founded in 2021 and one that’s taken up a summer residency at Guild Row in Avondale. The oyster specialists will create a “special, exclusive menu,” for Pitchfork Plus concertgoers, according to a festival rep.

Pitchfork

The VIP section ($419 for a single day) will get some special treats from One Off Hospitality Group, the Chicago company behind restaurants including Avec and the Publican. Meals from Publican Quality Meats, Dove’s Luncheonette, and Big Star are included as part of the VIP package. One Off’s director of culinary, Chris Miller, teased items like a mushroom and collard melt with oyster and button mushroom, provolone cheese, braised collards, garlic aioli (“lots of creamy dressing mixed with melty cheese and umami bomb collards,” Miller says.), the Okie Onion Burger from Dove’s with a smash patty, steamed bun, grilled onions, comeback sauce, and pickles (“sweet onions and a smashed Angus beef patty meet a soft-steamed bun… heaven on a bun” Miller iterates), and hatch chile and pollo flautas with braised chicken, roasted hatch chiles, jack cheese, corn tortilla, pico de Gallo, and shaved lettuce (“crispy, spicy, handheld goodness” Miller says).

“This year, our goal was to elevate the festival’s food program across the board by curating a mix of restaurants and flavors as eclectic and exciting as our musical lineup,” Seth Dodson, the executive production director of Pitchfork Music Festival said in a statement. “My hope is that whether festivalgoers are looking to try something new or return to a beloved favorite, there’s an experience here for them.”

The West Loop and Fulton Market are known for their restaurants, so there are plenty of choices for concertgoers before and after shows. And if they’re lucky, they might bump into a star. In past years, a rep says pop band Muna, which is intrigued by veggie-forward restaurants, has visited Aba. Aba is also a stop for Brit Jessie Ware, who (along with her mom) hosts a podcast called Table Manners. Meanwhile, headliners Black Pumas have made it to River North to eat at Sushi-san.

Tickets at all price levels remain available online. Check out the full general admission lineup below.

1. Avrom Farm
2. Pretty Cool Ice Cream
3. Beat Kitchen
4. Benjyehuda
5. Bumbu Roux
6. Café Tola
7. Cevapcici
8. Chicago’s Dog House
9. Chillwaukee
10. Connie’s
11. El Campeon
12. Festi Bowl
13. Josephine’s Cooking
14. LC Pho
15. Motorshucker
16. Sausage Fest
17. Soul Veg City
18. Tang Deep