City of Chicago :: Taste of Chicago Returns to Prime Summer time Season This July with Free Dwell Music, Household Enjoyable and Native Flavors

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Chicago’s legendary meals pageant returns to Grant Park with 5 days of free concert events, various native delicacies and family-friendly programming alongside the enduring lakefront.

 

CHICAGO — The Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) proclaims the return of Taste of Chicago, one of many world’s largest free-admission meals festivals, July 8–12 for an expanded five-day celebration bringing residents and guests collectively by means of acclaimed delicacies, dwell music and Chicago delight. From beloved neighborhood eating places and rising cooks to performances by globally acknowledged artists and family-friendly programming alongside town’s iconic lakefront, Taste of Chicago 2026 will showcase the cultural range and inventive vitality that proceed to make Chicago a premier culinary vacation spot.

“Taste of Chicago is one of the city’s most beloved summer traditions because it reflects the heart and soul of Chicago through our people, our culture and our extraordinary culinary talent,” mentioned Mayor Brandon Johnson. “From longtime neighborhood favorites to emerging chefs and local entrepreneurs, Taste showcases the creativity, diversity and innovation that continue to make Chicago one of the world’s great food destinations.”

This 12 months’s Taste of Chicago will characteristic an thrilling lineup of acclaimed artists and performers at Grant Park, together with indie rock pop favorites Beach Bunny, Grammy-winning Reggae singer-songwriter Original Koffee, Chicago hip-hop icon Common, legendary R&B singer, songwriter and producer Babyface and worldwide Mexican Latin pop-rock sensation Julieta Venegas. The various music lineup will carry famend expertise to the lakefront whereas celebrating the vitality and creativity that outline Chicago’s summer time pageant season.

“Taste of Chicago is a celebration of everything that makes our city extraordinary, from the incredible food and music to the cultures and communities that bring Chicago to life,” mentioned DCASE Commissioner Kenya Okay. Merritt. “As the festival returns to Grant Park for five days this July, we are proud to showcase the chefs, artists and entrepreneurs who continue to shape Chicago’s identity as a world-class culinary and cultural capital, while creating memorable experiences for residents and visitors alike.”

The pageant will characteristic returning favorites and new eating places representing Chicago’s dynamic culinary panorama from throughout town. Participating new distributors embrace Aaron’s FOF BBQ and Catering, Bust Outs, Café Tola, Cebu Chicago, CHKN Box LLC, Classic Cobbler Baked Goods Company, Daniel’s Test Kitchen, Fernando’s Blue Agave Restaurant, Havana Banana, Joey G’s Mac N Cheese, Kaya Grill & Gyoza, Kinnaree Thai Kitchen, LC Pho Restaurant, Lindsey’s Ice Cream, Molly’s Cupcakes, MsP’s GFree Inc, Oooh Wee It Is, Pretty Cool Ice Cream, Rickshaw, S2 Express Grill, Saffron Street Chicago, Soul Veg City, Taco Pros, Taylor’s Tacos, TE’AMO, The Tamale Guy and lots of different distributors representing cuisines from throughout Chicago’s 77 neighborhoods. A full checklist of distributors could be seen on-line.

Taste of Chicago’s meals truck lineup will carry much more taste to Grant Park with 20 meals vans serving a wide selection of culinary choices all through the five-day pageant. Participating meals vans embrace Caseras Food Truck, Decadent Flavor, Delicias Tacos Inc., El Azteca Sanchez Inc., Haire’s Gulf Shrimp, Halal Truck Guys, Happy Lobster, La Cocinita Food Truck, La Guerita Mexican Food Truck, Mr. Quiles Mexican Food, Ms. Tittle’s Cupcakes, Route 66 Mobile Diner LLC, Soul & Smoke, Sausage Fest, Taco Motora Inc., Tasty Chicago, Uncle Remus SFC, Whadda Jerk, Willie P’s BBQ & Catering, Yummy Halal Food. From barbecue and seafood favorites to tacos, consolation meals, world flavors and candy treats, the meals truck lineup provides much more alternatives for festivalgoers to find one thing new whereas experiencing Chicago’s dynamic culinary scene.

The meals pageant will characteristic a complete of 84 meals distributors in Grant Park together with 20 rotating pop-up distributors and a Snack Shack space with 4 featured distributors. Nearly 38% of collaborating meals distributors are new to Taste this 12 months bringing new flavors and eating experiences to one in all Chicago’s signature summer time occasions. The Illinois Restaurant Association continues to play a significant function in supporting and strengthening Chicago’s dynamic culinary group by means of advocacy, partnership and trade management. Through its ongoing collaboration with Taste of Chicago, the group helps elevate native eating places and cooks whereas creating alternatives to showcase the expertise and innovation that make Chicago a must-visit meals metropolis.

“Taste of Chicago continues to be one of the nation’s premier food festivals because it showcases the incredible talent, diversity and innovation of Chicago’s restaurant community,” mentioned Sam Toia, President and CEO of the Illinois Restaurant Association. “From iconic neighborhood favorites to exciting new culinary concepts, this festival gives residents and visitors an opportunity to experience the flavors that make Chicago one of the greatest food cities in the world.”

Featured Headliners

This 12 months’s lineup may even characteristic an thrilling mix of dwell performances from worldwide superstars to rising native expertise throughout a number of genres. Headlining performances all through the five-day Grant Park pageant will carry much more vitality and leisure to this summer time custom.

Featured headliners embrace:

• Babyface — with opening performers Opal Staples & Isaiah Sharkey
• Beach Bunny — with opening performer Friko
• Common — with opening performers Recoechi and Kaicrewsade
• Julieta Venegas — with opening performer Valebol
• Originial Koffee — with opening performer Funkadesi celebrating 30 years

Taste of Chicago 2026 is supported by sponsors and companions, whose contributions assist improve the pageant expertise for all attendees. Featured sponsored areas embrace the Goose Island Stage, showcasing native and rising musical expertise all through the weekend. Additional assist is supplied by Capital Vacations, Chicago Public Media, Chicago Transit Authority, Eli’s Cheesecake, Goose Island Beer Company, Illinois Lottery, Millennium Garages, NRG Energy and Pepsi — every serving to to carry this beloved Chicago custom to life.

For extra info and the total occasion lineup, go to Chicago.gov/Taste. You also can catch highlights on Instagram by following @DCASEChicago.

 

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Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events
The City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) helps artists and cultural organizations, invests within the artistic economic system, and expands entry and participation within the arts all through Chicago’s 77 neighborhoods. As a collaborative cultural presenter, arts funder, and advocate for artistic staff, our packages and occasions serve Chicagoans and visitors of all ages and backgrounds, downtown and in various communities throughout our metropolis — to strengthen and have fun Chicago. DCASE produces among the metropolis’s most iconic festivals, markets, occasions, and exhibitions on the Chicago Cultural Center, Millennium Park, and in communities throughout town — serving an area and world viewers of 25 million folks. The Department gives cultural grants and sources, manages public artwork, helps TV and movie manufacturing and different artistic industries, and permits particular occasions all through Chicago. For particulars, go to Chicago.gov/DCASE and keep related through our newsletters and social media.

 

Illinois Restaurant Association
Founded in 1914, the Illinois Restaurant Association is a non-profit group devoted to selling, defending, educating and enhancing the restaurant trade in Illinois. The Association manages the meals portion of Taste of Chicago for the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events. For extra info, go to www.illinoisrestaurants.org and comply with on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.