Lyrical Lemonade Summer Smash 2026. 2
Episode 2 - Building Koi Ice in Chicago
Building Koi Ice at One of America’s Biggest Music Festivals took a lot of planning, thousands of dollars in logistics, and a successful ice pickup from Nadeau Ice. It was finally time to bring Koi Ice to life at Summer Smash 2026. Episode 1 was about finding the ice. Episode 2 is about everything it took to build the operation.
Most festival attendees only see the finished product: a colorful tent, smiling staff, and a cup of premium shave ice. What they don’t see is the work that happens before the gates open.
The Setup Begins
Our journey started long before the first customer walked through the festival grounds. Equipment had been shipped from Las Vegas to Chicago weeks in advance. Shave ice machines, syrups, supplies, freezers, signage, tents, tables, and inventory all had to arrive on schedule.
Missing one item could create a major problem once the festival opened.
By the time setup day arrived, we had already spent months coordinating transportation, permits, staffing, equipment rentals, and ice procurement.
Now it was time to turn an empty vendor space into a fully functioning Koi Ice operation.
Building the Booth
When we arrived at Summer Smash, there was nothing but open space.
No signs. No freezers. No machines. No product. Just a patch of ground and a vision. Piece by piece, the booth began to take shape. The tents went up first. Then the tables. Then the freezers. Then the signage. Every extension cord, every piece of equipment, and every supply item had a place. What looked simple from the customer side required countless hours of planning behind the scenes.
The Race Against Time
Festival setup always comes with pressure. Deadlines don’t move. Gates open whether you’re ready or not. As equipment was unloaded and ice was organized, every minute mattered. The team moved quickly to position machines, organize supplies, prepare inventory, and create efficient workflows that would allow us to serve guests as quickly as possible once the festival began.
The goal wasn’t just to operate. The goal was to operate at scale. Thousands of attendees would be walking through Summer Smash each day, and we needed to be ready.
Bringing Las Vegas to Chicago
One of the most exciting parts of the process was seeing the Koi Ice brand come together in a completely different city. What started as a local Las Vegas shave ice company was now preparing to serve customers at one of the largest hip-hop festivals in the United States.
Looking around the festival grounds and seeing major artists, national brands, and vendors from around the country was a reminder of how far Koi Ice has come. This wasn’t just another event. This was Summer Smash.
The Final Preparations.
With the booth nearly complete, attention shifted to the details. Syrups were stocked. Ice was organized. Machines were tested. Freezers were checked. Inventory was counted. Staff responsibilities were assigned. Every checklist item mattered because once the gates opened, there would be no time to troubleshoot.
The preparation phase was over. Execution was next. More Than Just Shave Ice What many people don’t realize is that events like Summer Smash are about much more than sales. They’re about relationships. They’re about learning. They’re about proving what’s possible. For Koi Ice, Summer Smash represented an opportunity to test our systems, challenge ourselves, and see how our brand could perform on a national stage. The setup process alone taught us lessons that will impact every major event we do moving forward.
Ready for Opening Day
As the sun began to set and the final pieces fell into place, there was a moment where everything finally felt real. The equipment was ready. The ice was ready. The team was ready. All of the preparation had led to this moment. Now all that was left was opening the window and serving our first customer.
Up Next
In Episode 3, we’ll take you inside the actual festival experience, serving guests, managing crowds, surviving the rush, and seeing how Koi Ice performed during one of the biggest weekends in company history.