Alice Looked Down The Looking Glass in Chicago Last Weekend

Last weekend, I got to experience the magic that is Beyond Wonderland Chicago! I went two years ago but was unable to attend last year, so I was psyched to be back dancing! And the festival had so many wonderful things to offer.

Let’s start with Day 1. First off, everything was smooth sailing! We got off the train at Roosevelt and walked through Museum Campus. I love how much fun it is to walk through. Everyone was having fun! And the Chicago CTA is well organized. It was a little chaotic with the red lines being rerouted- but we figured it out!

Getting in was a BREEZE. We had no issues and went through very quickly. We had VIP tickets, so I can’t speak to the GA line, but VIP was easy. I am (unfortunately) gluten free, and I showed my email from Insomniac to security and had no problems getting through security with my snacks.

That being said, I appreciated the labeling at all of the booths. They had symbols on most of the booths that marked gluten free, vegetarian, vegan, etc. I didn’t end up eating anything because I had eaten right before the festival, but this was great for people with dietary restrictions like me.

I want to comment on the changes for this year! Two years ago, it rained, and the ground was a mud pit. It was rough- I fell in the mud twice. However, this year, I could tell they had put platforms down over the low spots, and this would help the muddy areas. It didn’t rain much- so I didn’t get to see how they would hold up, but I appreciated the gesture!

I fell right before entering the festival (if you know me, you know that this is a common occurrence. I often end up in med tents at festivals because I’ve fallen) and was bleeding, so I took a quick trip to the med tent. They cleaned my wound and gave me Band-Aids.

One thing I didn’t like was that the Cheshire Woods was now in a tent structure. There wasn’t enough room for everyone. It was so crowded at one point that people were spilling out the back and the sides. I wish it had been out in the open like the last time I was there.

I want to put a little disclaimer out there- I literally didn’t use a schedule all weekend. I went where the vibes were! So I did miss some of my favorite sets- I really only know what sets I was at because NOW I’m looking at a schedule.

Saturday, we bopped around a lot, but spent most of our time at the Mad Hatter’s Castle. We checked out sets such as Ahee, Ghengar, Layz, Space Laces b2b Eptic, Kai Wachi, and Zeds Dead. I was SO bummed that I missed Adventure Club, but as I said, I wasn’t looking at the schedule. We did check out Zedd for a bit, which was super fun.

After the festival, we found the most BUSSIN’ tacos. I should have written down the name. These weren’t at the festival, but keep a lookout for these if you go. Midnight tacos? Yes. Sign me up.

Sunday, we were a little later getting there because we slept in. Worth it though because I was refreshed and ready for the night! On the train, we had made some cool new friends, and we spent the first few sets with them. It rained for a bit, but honestly, not for too long. We spent a lot of time at the Cheshire Woods, checking out HEYZ, Grabbitz, and GorillaT. Do you notice a theme? Love my dubstep.

We ended the night at the Mad Hatter’s Castle with Kayzo, Liquid, and the man himself, EXCISION! He is one of my top artists, and so I’m so glad I got to experience the magic.

Beyond Wonderland was such a vibe. I’m so glad I got to experience the magic and dance with my friends. You’ve got to check it out at some point. It is just beautiful, looking out at the lake in the heart of downtown Chicago!