Credit: Colin Boyle/Block Club Chicago An order of loaded chaat fries from Tandoor Char House during the Taste of Chicago in Grant Park on Sept.
That fee covers the cost of tents, signs, propane, ice, electricity and cardboard flooring, according to a city spokesperson. This year, the city again offered stipends to vendors at the neighborhood Taste events: $500 for restaurants and $100 for food trucks.įor restaurant vendors at the main Grant Park event this year, the fee to participate was $2,000 - up from $1,000 last year, but down from $3,000 of years past. Last year, the city offered stipends of $1,000 and $500, respectively, to restaurants and food trucks who participated in the neighborhood versions of the Taste, to help offset costs. “This year we’ve bolstered our options in both numbers and diversity.” “Last year, we only had 22 vendors and 10 food trucks, so we were definitely overwhelmed by the unexpected demand coming out of the pandemic,” said Heitz. Last year’s Taste drew criticism as extreme heat and long lines turned excited foodies away before they even got their first bite. “It’s not what I remember it to be but honestly, I’m just happy to be here.” “I haven’t been here in 16 years and it feels a lot smaller,” said Pam Walker, a Chicago native who relocated to Georgia. The Petrillo Music Shell hosted notable musicians like Stevie Wonder in 1988, James Brown in 1996 and Donna Summer in 2005.Īs safety and revenue issues started to crop up, the festival was reduced to five days by 2012, and beloved programs like amusement park rides and firework shows were eliminated.Īs with last year’s festival, the Taste in Grant Park is now a three-day event. Millions came for the food and stayed for the entertainment, enjoying world-class performers year after year. For decades, the 10-day food festival drew millions of attendees, reaching a peak of 3.68 million in 1999, according to CBS News.
Since its beginnings in 1980, the Taste of Chicago has become an essential part of summertime in Chicago. “We got a lot of really great feedback about them and it was a great way to diversify the scope of the festival.” Credit: Colin Boyle/Block Club Chicago The Jason family dines during the Taste of Chicago in Grant Park on Sept. “Although the delay was a pivot, it allowed us to really build up our neighborhood events,” said Neal Heitz, director of event production at the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events. In the meantime, the city’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events held three neighborhood versions of the Taste in Humboldt Park, Pullman and Marquette Park. The festival usually takes place in July but was postponed this year due to the NASCAR race. The Taste was canceled in 20 and a “bite-sized” Taste was held in 2022. This was the first year the Taste was held in September, and it was the second scaled-down version of the city’s signature food festival since the pandemic. Thirty-five local eateries and 17 food trucks took over Grant Park Friday through Sunday. DOWNTOWN - The Taste of Chicago is back - sorta.
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