Coffee Beans and Club Beats at House Blend Coffee Rave

Pounding club beats and coffee aromas poured into the streets of West Loop from Firefox’s House Blend Coffee Rave on the morning of Oct. 4. Curious passersby tried to peek into the crowded Drip Collective — a coffeeshop located at 172 N. Racine Ave. — mimicking the exclusivity of a five-star club.

Unlike traditional clubs, the coffee rave swapped bartenders for baristas, cocktail dresses for jeans and Long Island iced teas for lattes. Instead of a dimly lit, stuffy room with flashing lights, sunlight shone through the windows, allowing for full visibility of the cement interior, exposed piping and lanterns hanging from the ceiling.

The rave featured partygoers of all kinds, from a group of yogis in leggings to a mom with her baby in a stroller. The wide majority of the attendees seemed to be new to the concept of a coffee rave, such as 29-year-old Yasmin Newman.

“This combined my favorite things,” Newman, a model from South Loop, said. “Music, dancing, coffee? Oh yeah, absolutely.”

Performing in front of towering wooden shelves overflowing with vinyl, Chicago native Colette took over the turntable for the first half of the rave, melding the sound of house records with live vocal sampling to create a uniquely upbeat backdrop for the one-of-a-kind morning party.

The stereotypical humdrum of a coffee shop was flipped on its head, with a groundshaking bass so strong you’d need to be cheek to cheek to hear one another.

“It’s like 10 a.m. and it’s a little loud — it’s great though,” Presley Garett, a first-year film major at Columbia College Chicago, said.

However, as the rave raged on into the afternoon, once skeptical caffeine lovers joined the dancefloor. 

Blasting music couldn’t overshadow the creative flavors of Drip Collective’s complimentary drinks and pastries, ranging from basics like a vanilla iced latte to inventive matchas. 

“I have this drink, it has matcha, espresso and banana milk,” Newman said. “Oh my god, it’s delicious.”

The free event reflected the growing popularity of sober daytime raves as a whole — part of a broader trend among Gen Z of seeking alternatives to traditional nightlife. In 2025, there was a 478% increase in coffee clubbing events, reflecting a growing desire to limit alcohol consumption while still wanting to go out, according to Eventbrite.

Coffee ravers of all ages agreed with this sentiment, showing that raves can be fun without the necessity of nighttime endeavors. 

“You get to go home early and go to sleep instead of staying up to two, three o’clock in the morning,” Tony Martin, a 50-year-old Pilsen resident, said. “I mean, you still go home, do something else and still go out later at night.”

Gen Z partiers, including 22-year-old Amrit Kaur, agreed, admitting she would definitely prefer a coffee rave over traditional clubbing. 

The events’ daytime hours opened the rave atmosphere to all, making it more accessible for a variety of ages and abilities and erasing a sometimes exclusive culture. 

“It’s a lot of older people because it’s in the morning,” Hastia Leon, 24, said. “Typically, younger people go out at night. This is more public.”

Even though coffee raves might not be as popular as traditional clubbing, the daytime party format proves it’s here to stay, with similar events being thrown around the world. 

“If you ask me to come tomorrow, I would,” Newman said. “The next day, the next day — all week — I’ll come.”