You know an event is family-friendly when it supplies free diapers.
And any penny-pinching parent knows the power of those two words.
Free. Diapers.
Yes, Taste of Chicago supplies parents with free diapers, plus an array of other family-friendly amenities and programs, from free face-painting (there’s that word again–free) to free family bingo to free music to the not-so-free water flume.
So if you’re considering braving the sweltering heat and madding crowds with your kids, here’s a guide to surviving this massive city party, and even having fun:
The important stuff: Like, where the bathrooms are. While there are bathrooms throughout Taste of Chicago, the Parent Helper Tent, located in the Family Village, has a baby changing area and the aforementioned free diapers. The first aid tent and lost children spot are also located in the Family Village area.
When to go: Event organizers suggest visiting with your kids during the least busy time: Lunch and weekday afternoons. If you’re concerned about crowds, stay away during the afternoon and evening of July 3, when Grant Park will be packed in a stroller-unfriendly way.
Free activities for your kids: Head to the Family Village, located west of the 10-story Ferris wheel. There’ll be face-painting, karaoke, storytelling plus arts and crafts projects every day from about 11 a.m. into the late afternoon.
Rock out with your kids: The Fun Time Stage, located near the Family Village, is where you’ll want to go with your kids for music and performers such as Chris Karabas and The Kids Table Band and CircEsteem, a circus act. At 11:30 a.m. July 6, members of the Chicago White Sox will be at this stage to sign autographs and give away prizes.
Get wet or dizzy: You’ll need tickets for this, but Taste has rides too. There’s a 10-story Ferris wheel (5 tickets), an old-fashioned carousel (3 tickets) and a water flume (7 tickets). Towering above the crowds at one end of the Taste, the Ferris wheel is hard to miss. In case you can’t find it, it’s at the intersection of Columbus and Balbo Drives.
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