Pay attention, Pitchfork attendees! If you think you can make it through three days of  heat, music, and high-waisted shorts without some prepping, think again. Surviving pitchfork is not easy. Here are some handy tips to safely enjoy the fest this weekend. 

Bike parking

Locking your fixie to the fence is a gamble. Instead, roll up to the Biker Village at the corner of Ashland and Warren Boulevards where enthusiastic volunteers keep watch over your wheels.

What you should you bring

• a medium-sized backpack/satchel
• two sealed bottles of water (Bjork's brilliance should be the only reason you hit the ground.)
• an umbrella; there’s a chance of thunderstorms on Friday.
• your smartphone—so you can read our capsule reviews and follow us on Twitter: (@Chicagomag, @Elly33, @ohnoerino, @tomiobaro)

What you can’t bring in

• tents
• flags; someone will be wearing a stars and stripe bikini top anyway
• lounge chairs (folding chairs are permitted)
• instruments; why bother? Nobody’s here for you
• knives (and other weapons)
• video cameras (there’s this nifty thing called an iPhone though…)
• audio recording devices (see note above)
• pets (your cat, dancing to R. Kelly, won't be the next YouTube sensation) 
• food
• beverages other than water
• drugs
• professional cameras (digital cameras without detachable lenses are permitted)

Good spots to listen outside the park:

Couldn't nab a ticket? Only interested in the headliners? We hear that plenty of folks stretch out and soak in the sounds at nearby Union Park Public Pool or atop the Green Line Platform. Not that we would know anything about that.