Taste of Chicago makes its midsummer return
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Taste of Chicago returns to July this year after previous years, like the one pictured above, where September temps cooled the festival. Photo: Monica Eng/Axios
Now that NASCAR has raced out of the city, Taste of Chicago returns to its usual summer spot in Grant Park this week for five days of pizza, turkey legs, dumplings and more.
State of play: The fest is open from 11am to 9pm daily through Sunday.
- No cash or tickets. Vendors take only credit cards, potentially causing delays.
- Expect a bag check and leave weapons, drugs, glass bottles, pets, hammocks, coolers, bags longer than 26 inches long and anything with poles at home. Folding chairs, non-glass water bottles and blankets are OK.
The music: Headliners start at 7pm and include Beach Bunny on Wednesday, Original Koffee on Thursday, Common on Friday, Babyface on Saturday and Julieta Venegas on Sunday.
- Seating in the pavilion is offered on a first-come, first-served basis.
The food: Find more than 100 vendors selling the usual suspects along with ube mochi pancakes, Flaming Hot Cheet-o corn and fried gyoza on a stick.
Monica recently tried food from 2026 Taste newbies and loved it, including Friday pop-up Daniel's Test Kitchen, serving jollof rice balls, ratatouille Pop-Tarts and chicken and waffles on a stick, and Thursday pop-up Havana Banana, serving Cuban sandwich nachos using plantain chips.
For vegetarians, Carrie recommends the spicy, creamy kimcheesy rice balls from Yum Dum, and Cafe Tola's multiple veggie empanadas, including spinach and ricotta and raja, and the vegan option, coconut curry.
- Pretty Cool Ice Cream's refreshing pink lemonade and passionfruit flavors offer a cool sweet treat for non-dairy eaters, in addition to its many scrumptious ice cream pops.
Extras: Learn to cook at the Chef's Stage, groove to DJs at the Goose Island stage and learn global moves at the SummerDance Stage.
- Test your Chicago knowledge in a trivia contest and register in advance for a karaoke competition at the People's Stage.