Beyoncé fans shop for western-themed apparel ahead of Cowboy Carter concert this weekend
There will be a sea of cowboy hats and boots this weekend for the continuation of Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter Tour at Soldier Field.
Western wear is in high demand across Chicago for those attending the concert.
One popular shop in West Town was brimming with Beyoncé fans looking for hats, boots, and bolo ties.
"If you see the big horse, you can't miss it. That's us. If you go past the horse, then you've gone too far," Mani Alcala said.
Country fans always find Alcala's Western Wear at 1733 W. Chicago Ave.
"Anything to do with country, we got it. Hats, boots, belts, chaps."
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Lately, Alcala has found the horses outside his family's store are a beacon.
"Beyonce. Cowboy Carter," he said, laughing.
But for Beyhive.
"This has been a journey for Beyonce. We gotta make the outfit right," Jordan Armstrong said.
Jordan, her sister Alex, and their friend Allison Whipple are last-minute shoppers before Beyoncé's concert on Sunday. They have concert tickets but need bolo ties.
"This was the goal. Bolo tie," Jordan said.
They're not alone. Liana Wallace bought her cowboy boots at the store last year, but this year she's back for a cowboy hat.
"Want to look the part," she said. "I've never seen more Black women in this store! It's like clearly Beyonce's coming."
With so much demand, Alcala's called in employees to work on their day off.
"It's been insane." Alcala said. "Beyonce has brought a crowd with her. We've been blessed that she has brought it here to Chicago, and we've been lucky enough to have seen a huge wave of people coming in and out."
Even people who need extra help getting concert-ready.
"I think a lot of people are creating their own outfits based off of her tour and I think you're just seeing a lot of the creativity of her fanbase and it's just fun to see," Jordan said.
Dressed up like the wild west for a weekend concert.
Beyoncé's concert started with a delay on Thursday due to severe weather.
This weekend, things will be clear weather-wise as she takes the stage Saturday and Sunday at Soldier Field.
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Andrea Williams is an opinion columnist for The Tennessean and curator of the Black Tennessee Voices initiative. She has an extensive background covering country music, sports, race and society. Email her at adwilliams@ or follow her on X (formerly known as Twitter) at @AndreaWillWrite. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: New country category at The Grammy change was long overdue | Opinion
