(Photo credit Walter S. Mitchell III, City of Chicago)
The Taste of Chicago is back this summer, and the city is spreading the flavor across neighborhoods before the big finale downtown. Free and open to the public, the festival will close out the season in Grant Park from Friday, September 5 through Sunday, September 7, running daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. City officials announced more than 60 food vendors, two music stages, and family programming for the Grant Park weekend, calling it one of Chicago’s signature summer traditions. Before the lakefront fills with food tents and music, the Taste has already touched down in Marquette Park, Pullman Park, and Albany Park, keeping the spotlight on neighborhood voices along the way.
Music remains a major draw, and this year’s lineup puts Chicago’s own front and center. Lupe Fiasco, the Grammy-winning rapper raised on the West Side, will headline the main stage Friday evening, a booking that speaks directly to the city’s hip-hop legacy. Saturday belongs to pop and R&B singer JoJo, while Sunday closes with Latin star Elvis Crespo. Evening performances start at 5 p.m. each night, and the Goose Island Stage will add more Chicago-based talent throughout the weekend. Organizers say the mix is meant to celebrate the range of sounds you hear across the city—from hip-hop to house, from merengue to soul.
The food lineup continues to anchor the Taste. Classic vendors like Harold’s Chicken #55, Robinson’s No. 1 Ribs, Eli’s Cheesecake, and Original Rainbow Cone are all returning. New names this year include Lexington Betty Smoke House, Beat Kitchen Cantina, Chillafry, ChefLife19, Khmai, and Dao Thai Restaurant. In all, the Grant Park event will feature 45 food booths and 17 food trucks, with nearly one-fifth of the vendors new to the festival. That mix of legacy restaurants and newcomers looks to mirror the city’s changing food scene, where Harold’s remains a South Side staple while chefs like Dominique Leach of Lexington Betty continue to expand Chicago’s culinary footprint. All purchases will be cashless, with vendors accepting credit and debit cards only.
The neighborhood stops offered their own highlights earlier this summer. Marquette Park kicked off the series on June 28 with performances from ALäZ, Keya Trammell, and DJ Boolumaster, along with a reggaeton party led by Perreo 101. Chicago SummerDance filled the park with sessions in steppin’, line dancing, footwork, and punta, keeping the dance floor moving all afternoon. Pullman Park followed on July 19 with Meagan McNeal & Friends, Johnny Blas and the Afro Libre Orchestra, and a day-long set from DJ Duane Powell. The series wrapped in Albany Park on August 9, featuring Los Gaiteros de Pueblo Santo, Chicago Immigrant Orchestra, Surabhi Ensemble, and FUGU DUGU, paired with dance lessons in cumbia, Bollywood, and Mexican folk styles. Organizers say these neighborhood events remain key to the Taste, making space for smaller stages and community voices before the Grant Park crowds arrive.
Beyond the music and food, the Grant Park weekend will feature karaoke contests, trivia games, and Chicago SummerDance lessons in a variety of styles. Families will also find activities in the Disney Resorts Family Village, designed to make the festival accessible for all ages.
