Lollapalooza is almost here!

Chicago is gearing up for what promises to be a crazy weekend, so let HI-Chicago help you get ready. Kick off the weekend right on Thursday evening with a mixer at the hostel from 5-7pm: 2 free drinks per guest (beer/wine available for 21+), snacks and DJ Idris Oladipo spinning! Directly following the mixer, join us for a pub crawl in Wicker Park to warm up your dancing feet (and your livers) and to meet your fellow festival-goers!

For Lolla itself, be sure to grab your wristbands before the shows start - check in on Thursday at 3pm, run over to the box office, and come back to the hostel by 5pm for the mixer! 3-day ticket holders are required to exchange their ticket for a 3-day wristband, which is non-transferable, non-exchangeable and cannot be replaced. They cannot be removed and must be worn all three days to allow entry. If the wristband is tampered with or mangled, it cannot be replaced! Single day ticket holders do not get a wristband and are not allowed re-entry. Wristbands allow only 5 re-entries per day. The box office, located at the Southeast corner of Michigan Ave and Van Buren St, is only 2 blocks from the hostel and is open Wednesday through Sunday, and box office hours are as follows:

Wednesday/Thursday - 3-8pm

Friday/Saturday/Sunday - 10am-10pm

The main entrance for the shows is at Michigan Avenue and Congress Pkwy, with the North Entrance at Columbus and Monroe. How much more convenient can you get? Band schedules, day-of FAQs, and after-party information are all available on the 2nd floor of the hostel so be sure to take advantage!

Who are you most excited to see? Like us on Facebook and let us know - we've been rocking out to Flogging Molly, Cage the Elephant, Damian Marley and Eminem all week in the intern office (seriously, you should see the intern rendition of "Lose Yourself")! Get pumped for this weekend, and the inevitable festival bonding that takes place 85 degrees and 15 bands into the day - you know those friendships last a lifetime. It's like being war buddies. Kind of.

See you all Thursday!