For the first time in 51 years, the City of Chicago played host to the N.F.L. Draft during a weekend of activities that ran from April 30 to May 2. Much of the actual draft, which took place in rounds spanning the three days, was held in the Auditorium Theater. But a new, free fan festival known as "Draft Town," held across the street from the theater in Grant Park, received nearly as much attention as the main event.
"N.F.L. fans are especially hungry in our so-called off-season for ways to connect with our game, our players, and others fans," said Peter Reilly, the N.F.L.'s senior vice president of events. "Creating a massive free fan festival allowed fans of all ages and of all teams to come together to celebrate not only the draft, but also their passion for their team and the N.F.L. in an iconic location like Grant Park. That was the vision."
Presented by Oikos Triple Zero, the pop-up town took over the same space where the music festival Lollapalooza is held annually. The fest shared a few other commonalities with the famous music event. First, C3 Presents, the Austin, Texas-based group that produces Lollapalooza, assisted with production on Draft Town. Like the music fest, Draft Town had a selection of food vendors chosen by local chef Graham Elliot; there were also concerts from American Idol winner Phillip Phillips and local band JC Brooks & the Uptown Sound.
However, unlike Lollapalooza, Draft Town was a free event, and (naturally) had football inspiration everywhere. Along with sports memorabilia and autograph sessions with N.F.L. players, guests could participate in activities from a 40-yard dash to a wind tunnel skydiving simulator that let guests fly through the air in a move inspired by football legend Walter Payton. "Though we partnered with C3 Presents ... we are not necessarily in a position to compare the two events," O'Reilly said. "We did bring football, food, music, and family fun together in one massive event. Certainly previous events in Grant Park were an inspiration for that."
Some 200,000 guests filtered through the activation throughout its run, exceeding attendance expectations. As for bringing the draft back to Chicago next year, a decision is expected to be announced this summer. However, it is fairly certain that the draft's fan-festival element will remain in place. "Creating larger fan experiences around draft is something we hope to continue," O'Reilly said.
