My GO Fest Story: Chicago 2019 - Friendship, Rain, & Redemption

By the time GO Fest 2019 rolled around, I felt like a veteran. It was my third year attending and the second time back at Grant Park. But for once, I wasn’t going alone. This year, I was joined by friends, some of them experiencing GO Fest for the very first time. They had skipped 2018, still wary from the disaster of 2017, but hearing how Niantic had turned things around finally won them over. I was excited for them in a way that caught me off guard.. Watching them step into Chicago and take in the scale of it all felt like I was reliving my first GO Fest through a much gentler lens.

"On our way to GO Fest. My third, but somehow, it still felt new.”

The park was familiar, the same location as 2017, but the energy was different. It didn’t feel like we were returning to old ground. It felt like a second chance for Niantic, for my friends, and for me. Of course, GO Fest 2019 had its own challenges. If GO Fest 2017 was chaos in the heat with bad signal, long lines, and overwhelming sun, then 2019 was its opposite featuring a downpour that washed everything out. Different weather, same disruption.

GO Fest Chicago 2019 returned to Grant Park

My friends and I didn’t play on the same day. I had my GO Fest session the day before, while all of them chose Saturday. So I didn’t get to see them walk into the park or experience their first catches. But I was there when the sky opened up. It started pouring right in the middle of their play window and I remember feeling bad that this was how their first GO Fest was starting. From the hotel window, the storm looked like fog had swallowed the city. It was intense, quiet, and strangely soothing, like even Chicago needed to pause from the excitement of GO Fest.

“The rain was so heavy it looked like the city disappeared.”

But then came something beautiful. One of my friends, someone who had spoofed in the past, traded a Tropius to a kid nearby. It was a regional Pokémon, one that most kids would never have access to. But this kid’s face lit up. He didn’t ask where it came from, he didn’t ask if it was “legit,” he just smiled because now it was his. That moment stuck with me more than anything I caught that weekend. It reminded me of what GO Fest is really about, not just the game, but the joy of giving something to someone who might never experience it otherwise.

“This will be the best times for those who are unable to experience this at home.”

—LewyThePanda

That line hit me in the chest because it’s true, not everyone gets this. Not everyone has a community like we do in Dallas. Not everyone gets a second or third GO Fest. Some people get one chance to feel connected, to feel seen. And if you're lucky enough to be there, it’s worth making it count.

"Many friends in this photo experienced GO Fest for the very first time in 2019!"

This was the first year I didn’t care about creators or big moments. I wasn’t chasing autographs or selfies. I was focused on watching my friends experience the magic for themselves. Even through the rain, they had fun. We shared trades, snacks, and the kind of small laughs that make GO Fest feel less like a convention and more like a memory. We stayed in a hotel together that weekend. It was fun, except for the two friends who snored like a Team Rocket base alarm. I didn’t sleep much, but honestly? I didn’t mind. The camaraderie outweighed the sleep deprivation.

"I still have the Surfing Pikachu today. You never know what people will ask for trades in Pokemon GO."

Even though I wasn’t focused on creators or gameplay goals, there was one Pokémon I had my heart set on.

Before GO Fest, my friend Ruby casually mentioned how cool it would be to have a Shiny Pikachu with Surf from Hawaii, something about the idea just stuck with me. It sounded impossible. Elite Charged TMs didn’t exist yet, so Surf couldn’t be taught after the fact. The only way to get one was to have played Pikachu Community Day in Hawaii, kept a shiny with Surf, and somehow also be traveling to Chicago for GO Fest. I figured the chances were next to none.

Still, I took a shot. I posted in a Pokémon GO Facebook group asking if anyone had that exact Pikachu. To my shock, someone responded. We agreed to meet at The Bean, and I offered a Shiny Scyther in exchange. The trainer thought it was a joke at first but when I sent the trade, he lit up. Not just because of the Scyther, but because he understood the story behind it.

That was also the year I tried something new. I brought along a Treecko plush, planning to take pictures of it around the city as a kind of “Pokémon travel buddy” concept. But once I got there, I froze. I was hyper-aware of people around me, wondering what they'd think if they saw me posing a plush on a sidewalk or railing. So I tucked Treecko away. But something about that effort, the intention behind it, stayed with me. I didn’t know it then, but GO Fest 2019 planted the seed for what would one day become my content journey. Not long after, I bought a mic and tried making a video. It didn’t take off but it got me started.

That year also hosted the first-ever Silph Arena World Championship Tournament and I was excited to check it out. We traveled a few blocks north of Grant Park to Lucky Strike, where The Silph Road was hosting an afterparty and the first ever PvP World Championship. The finals were already scheduled to be underway, or nearly finished, by the time we arrived. We were hoping to catch at least the last few matches and witness a historic moment for Pokémon GO.

Instead, it felt like controlled chaos. The venue was overcrowded, with no clear signage, barely any announcements, and no real direction on where or when the matches would begin. I waited nearly an hour before finally deciding to leave because the tournament still hadn’t even started. Later, we learned they were eventually kicked out into the wet Chicago streets because the venue had to close.

But the real championship that weekend? Watching a kid light up over a Tropius. That was the moment that mattered.

GO Fest 2019 wasn’t about shinies or selfies. It was about redemption for the event, for my friends, and maybe for me too. It was the first time I saw that I could play a different role, not just as a Trainer, but as someone who helps others enjoy the experience. And maybe, just maybe, someone who had a story worth sharing one day.

If you're reading this, chances are Pokémon has touched your life too. Maybe it gave you a friend, a goal, a place to belong. I’d love to hear your story.

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💡 Tips for First-Time GO Fest Attendees (From 2019 Me):

• Go with others if you can, but let their joy lead. Their excitement will help you see it all with fresh eyes.

• Make the moment, even if the weather doesn’t. Some of the best memories are made soaking wet with friends.

• Try something creative, even if it flops. The seed matters. It’ll grow when the time is right.

• Pack patience for official events. Not every tournament or side experience will run smoothly. Be ready to pivot.

• Remember this might be someone’s only GO Fest. Help them make it unforgettable.