Taste of Chicago

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The Taste of Chicago is among the most popular annual public festivities in the city.

The Taste of Chicago is the world's largest food festival, held annually for two weeks in Chicago starting the last week of June. The event is the largest festival in Chicago.^[1] Every year, millions of Chicagoans, and tourists from around the world flock to Grant Park to enjoy the variety of food prepared by Chicago's most popular restaurants. Events also include live music on multiple stages, informational and family oriented pavilions, and nightly film performances. Musical acts vary from established and emerging local artists, to nationally known artists like Carlos Santana, Moby, and Kenny Rogers. All performances are free. July 3rd (Independence Eve) is by far the event's most attended day. The Chicago Country Music festival occurs simultaneously with Taste of Chicago.

On July 3rd the city holds its Independence Eve fireworks display. This takes place at dusk off the downtown shore of Lake Michigan, and is often ranked among the most impressive Independence Day pyrotechnic displays in the nation.

In 2005, the Taste attracted about 3.5 million people with over 70 food vendors. In order to purchase food and beverages, one must purchase 'Taste Tickets'. Beer and wine can also be purchased.

Popular local food staples at Taste include Chicago-style pizza, Chicago hot dogs, barbecued ribs, Italian Beef, Maxwell Street Polish Sausage, cheesecake, and a variety of ethnic and regional foods. The city's diverse variety of cuisines is well represented.

It is recommended that visitors use public transportation: the CTA, Metra or Pace, to get to the Taste, as parking in the immediate area is extremely difficult to find, and very expensive. Rides are also available such as a Ferris Wheel and the Mayor Daley " Jump to Be Fit".

The 2006 Taste of Chicago was the best 10-day event ever for attendance and sales. A record total of 3.6 million people visited the festivities that year. Attendance for the previous record 10-day event, in 2004, was 3.59 million, with $12.33 million in revenue.[1]

In 2007, for first time in its history, the Taste of Chicago was marred by a salmonella outbreak that affected over 700 people and required the hospitalization of 12. The outbreak was reportedly traced to hummus served at the Pars Cove booth.^[2]

[edit] History

Mayor's Office Festivals of 2007

The first Taste of Chicago was held in the summer of 1980, the idea of then-mayor Jane Byrne and Commissioner of Cultural Affairs Lois Weisberg. At its inception, it was a one-day event held on the Fourth of July, along downtown Chicago's North Michigan Avenue (also known as the Magnificent Mile). The next year, The Taste of Chicago was moved to Grant Park and was greatly expanded in size and scope, growing to a 10-day event with more food vendors, as well as musical performances.

ChicagoFest, started by mayor Michael Bilandic, was the precursor to the Taste of Chicago. After Bilandic's tenure in office, newly elected Mayor Jane Byrne attempted to end the festival, as well as many other programs associated with the former mayor. Many Chicagoans disapproved of Mayor Byrne's attempt to stop the festivities (although attendance at ChicagoFest had begun to wane). She and her successor, Mayor Harold Washington, dedicated more time and energy to promoting the Taste as the city's premier summertime festival, making the new event more significant than the waning ChicagoFest and slowly phasing ChicagoFest out in the process. Mayor Washington finally put an end to ChicagoFest when in 1983 it was moved from Navy Pier to Soldier Field, and was an attendance failure.

Popularity has spawned numerous offshoots and equivalents throughout the country (and beyond), such as the Tastefest in Detroit, the Taste of the Danforth in Toronto, Taste of Addison, Taste in Dallas, Taste of Madison and in Austin.