“Residents can expect lots of people around the park and extra Pokémon GO activity around the city for the weekend,” Niantic representative Yafine Lee said as a head’s up to non-players who will be out and about this weekend. | Max Herman/For the Sun-Times Information for residents Tyler Vaughan celebrates after catching a “mystical Unown” alongside his mother, Helen Vaughan, at Pokémon GO Fest in Grant Park on July 22, 2017. If you aren’t, prepare to encounter more pedestrians staring down at their phones than usual. If you’re attending the fest, expect to to enjoy a fun tour around town. In addition to activities in Lincoln Park, Niantic has planned in-game activities throughout the city to encourage players to explore Chicago.
This means that if you go to Lincoln Park on Saturday, you won’t be able to play at the Fest on Sunday - even if you purchase a second, Sunday ticket. The structure of this year’s Fest - spreading players out across Lincoln Park and extending programming across two days this weekend - is expected to make things run more smoothly, Niantic representative Yafine Lee told the Sun-Times in an email.Īn important note: players will only be able to activate their in-game ticket on one of the two days this weekend. expects this year’s Pokémon Go Fest go off without a hitch. | Max Herman/For the Sun-Times Information for everyone Pokémon Go Players in Grant Park in Summer 2017. Let us know how our predictions fared on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram - we’ll be following the hashtag #PokemonGoFest2018.
Niantic and festival organizers have been tight-lipped about the actual gameplay experience for festival participants, but we’ve made some inferences in this guide to help shape your experience. Expect the Loop and surrounding neighborhoods (Lincoln Park included) to see extra congestion. The Taste of Chicago starts Wednesday, July 11 and ends Sunday, July 15, in Grant Park (Pokémon Go Fest’s former home). Planning to catch ’em all this weekend? Here’s everything you need to know to make the most of the 2018 Pokémon Go Fest: Heads up This year’s Pokémon Go Fest is a two-day affair that will expand gameplay across Lincoln Park, reinforced by temporary cell towers deployed by Verizon, AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile. This year, the app’s developer, Niantic, has promised a smooth and stress-free event. Last year’s inaugural Pokémon Go Fest, which took place in Grant Park, was by many accounts “disastrous” - riddled with logistical issues and technical glitches which ultimately resulted in a class-action lawsuit brought by festival attendees. It’s the second annual gathering for fans of the popular app-based augmented reality game, based this year in Lincoln Park. Pokémon Go Fest 2018 returns to Chicago on July 14 and 15.