CHICAGO (WLS) — Big summer festivals in the city, the Taste of Chicago and Windy City Smokeout, are kicking off this week with lots of food and entertainment.
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The Taste of Chicago returned to Grant Park, bringing the city’s signature food festival back to its traditional mid-summer slot and offering visitors a wide range of dining options, live music and free admission.
Now in its 46th year, the event features more than 100 vendors serving dishes that range from traditional fare to acclaimed specialties. In recent years, the festival had been held in September to accommodate the NASCAR race.
“This is just a really beautiful nostalgic moment for the city of Chicago as we able to deliver this event to Chicago visitors tourist alike,” said Neil Heitz, Taste of Chicago program director.
Among the longtime participants is Eli’s Cheesecake, which is marking the occasion Saturday as the only vendor to have appeared at every Taste of Chicago. The company is showcasing a 1,000-pound cheesecake that takes 10 days to make and assemble.
“It was on July 4, 1980 the very first Tasha Chicago that my father and founder Eli Sherman took his cheesecake outside of Eli’s place for steak to Michigan Avenue for the first Taste. And we are the only Vandares who’s been a Raste of Chicago every year since,” said Marc Schulman of Eli’s Cheesecake.
This year’s Taste of Chicago has been expanded to five days and includes live music, food trucks, a new chef’s stage and dozens of pop-up restaurants representing Chicago’s 77 neighborhoods.
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“There are some independent restaurants, small intermittent restaurants, small family owned restaurants. They can’t commit to five days. They can’t commit it to one day and then again that’s marketing,” said Sam Toia, president and CEO of the Illinois Restaurant Association.
Newcomer Cafe Tola is participating in the festival for the first time, serving its empanadas. The business has been operating since 2012 and has four locations.
“I’m just looking forward to meeting visitors from the come to Chicago just for the Taste of Chicago and get to meet Cafe Tola and get to see my customers,” said Cafe Tola owner and chef Victoria Salamanca.
There are no Taste tickets; food purchases are made with debit or credit cards, and admission is free. In addition to food, the festival includes dance lessons, karaoke and performances by local bands. Beach Bunny is scheduled to play on the main stage.
The Taste of Chicago runs through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. in Grant Park. Admission is free.
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