Running July 5-9 in Grant Park, Taste of Chicago returns for its 37th year with more than 60 food vendors, two stages of daily musical acts, five chef-planned dinners, 35 cooking demonstrations and new arts areas featuring dancers, artists and performers. The event’s details, a map of the grounds, and Tribune critics and reporters’ highlights of the Taste follow below:
Click on a button to jump to section:
.g-artboard {
margin:0 auto;
}
#g-taste-map-two-wide{
position:relative;
overflow:hidden;
width:580px;
}
.g-aiAbs{
position:absolute;
}
.g-aiImg{
display:block;
width:100% !important;
}
#g-taste-map-two-wide p{
font-family:nyt-franklin,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;
font-size:13px;
line-height:18px;
margin:0;
}
#g-taste-map-two-wide .g-aiPstyle0 {
font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;
font-size:14px;
line-height:17px;
color:#000000;
}
#g-taste-map-two-wide .g-aiPstyle1 {
font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;
font-size:14px;
line-height:17px;
font-style:italic;
color:#666666;
}
#g-taste-map-two-wide .g-aiPstyle2 {
font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;
font-size:14px;
line-height:27px;
font-style:italic;
text-align:center;
color:#666666;
}
#g-taste-map-two-wide .g-aiPstyle3 {
font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;
font-size:14px;
line-height:17px;
text-align:right;
color:#000000;
}
#g-taste-map-two-wide .g-aiPstyle4 {
font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;
font-size:18px;
line-height:28px;
color:#000000;
}
#g-taste-map-two-wide .g-aiPstyle5 {
font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;
font-size:18px;
line-height:25px;
color:#000000;
}
.g-aiPtransformed p { white-space: nowrap; }
Entrance
and exit
Food
booth
Food
trucks
Specialty
drink areas
Music
stage
Chef
event
MONROE
COLUMBUS
MICHIGAN
LAKE SHORE
Art Institute
Petrillo
Music
Shell
JACKSON
Lifeway Foods
Taste Kitchen
Buckingham
Fountain
CONGRESS
Wine
garden,
beer hall and
cocktail lounge
Celebrity
Chef
du Jour
Bud Light
Stage
BALBO
Source: City of Chicago
@ChiTribGraphics
#g-taste-map-two-small{
position:relative;
overflow:hidden;
width:296px;
}
.g-aiAbs{
position:absolute;
}
.g-aiImg{
display:block;
width:100% !important;
}
#g-taste-map-two-small p{
font-family:nyt-franklin,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;
font-size:13px;
line-height:18px;
margin:0;
}
#g-taste-map-two-small .g-aiPstyle0 {
font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;
font-size:14px;
line-height:17px;
color:#000000;
}
#g-taste-map-two-small .g-aiPstyle1 {
font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;
font-size:12px;
line-height:14px;
font-style:italic;
color:#666666;
}
#g-taste-map-two-small .g-aiPstyle2 {
font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;
font-size:14px;
line-height:17px;
text-align:right;
color:#000000;
}
#g-taste-map-two-small .g-aiPstyle3 {
font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;
font-size:18px;
line-height:14px;
color:#9ca4b2;
}
.g-aiPtransformed p { white-space: nowrap; }
Entrance/exit
Specialty drink areas
Food booth
Music stage
Chef event
Food trucks
MONROE
LAKE SHORE
MICHIGAN
Petrillo
Music
Shell
Art Institute
JACKSON
COLUMBUS
Lifeway Foods
Taste Kitchen
CONGRESS
Celebrity
Chef du Jour
Bud Light
Stage
BALBO
@ChiTribGraphics
Location: Grant Park (between Lake Shore Drive, Monroe Street, Michigan Avenue and Balbo Drive)
Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday-Friday; 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday-Sunday
Tickets: Admission is free. General admission seating for performances at the Petrillo Music Shell range in price from $19 to $50 (lawn seating in Butler Field is free). Performances at the Bud Light Stage are free. Celebrity Chef du Jour presentations are $45 a ticket. Food and drink tickets are $10 for 14. (Ticket sales end at 8:30 p.m.)
Transportation
Roads closed: Sections of Columbus Drive (from Monroe Street to Balbo Avenue and from Balbo Avenue to Roosevelt Road), Jackson Drive (from Michigan Avenue to Lake Shore Drive) and Congress Parkway (from Columbus Drive to Congress Plaza Drive) will be closed through Monday, July 10.
Parking: Millennium Park and Millennium Lakeside garages, $35 a day; Grant Park North and South garages vary by time parked.
Public transportation: CTA and Metra will provide additional service during the event. Some buses will be rerouted.
Bike parking: Available on the edge of Grant and Millennium parks.
Food
Smaller portions are available at each food vendor for one to six tickets:
- Tribune best bet
- Food truck
- Restaurant booth
Find a restaurant
American Glory
Auntie Vee’s
Aztec Dave’s Food Truck
Beat Kitchen
Beavers Coffee + Donuts
Billy Goat Tavern & Grill
BJ’s Market & Bakery
Bop Bar Truck
Brightwok Kitchen
Broken English Taco Pub
Bruges Brothers
Caffe Gelato
Cajun Connoisseur
Carbon Live Fire Mexican Grill
Cheesie’s Pub and Grub
Chicago’s Hot Dog (Chicago’s Dog House)
Churro Factory
Connie’s Pizza
Da Lobsta
Dia De Los Tamales
Dinky Donuts
Doom Street Eats
El Patron
The Eli’s Cheesecake Co.
Farmer’s Fridge
Fat Shallot
Franco’s Ristorante
Frannie’s Cafe
Fudge Pot
Garifuna Flava: A Taste of Belize
Giordano’s
Gold Coast Dogs
Hakka Bakka Indian Kati Rolls
Harold’s Chicken
Iyanze
Jin Ju Restaurant
Just Salad
Kasia’s Deli
La Bomba Restaurant
La Cocinita Food Truck
La Mexicana
Lawrence’s Fish and Shrimp
Lifeway Kefir Shop
Little Beet Table
Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria
MAD Social
Miller’s Pub
O’Briens Restaurant & Bar
Oak Street Beach Cafe
Pork & Mindy’s
Porkchop
Puffs of Doom
Punky’s Pizza & Pasta
Ricobene’s on 26th Street
Riva
Robinson’s No. 1 Ribs
Rojo Gusano
Seoul Taco
Stan’s Donuts & Coffee
Star of Siam
Texas de Brazil
Tuscany
Ukai Japanese Restuarant
Vee-Vee’s African Restaurant
Warm Belly Bakery
More Top Picks Best Appliance Dollies
Yum Dum
American Glory
Location: Food trucks
At festival:
Offerings:
- Pulled pork sandwich
- Bread pudding
- Mac and cheese (“Loaded” or regular)
Auntie Vee’s
Location: Food trucks
At festival:
Offerings:
- Bread pudding topped with vanilla ice cream
- Peach cobbler topped with ice cream
- Chocolate chunk deep dish cookie topped with vanilla ice cream
Aztec Dave’s Food Truck
Location: Food trucks
At festival:
Offerings:
- Chicken or steak tacos (three per order)
- Elote (sweet corn, mayonnaise, butter, cotija cheese, lime and chile)
Beat Kitchen
Location: Booth 31
At festival:
Offerings:
- Two empanadas (beef, chicken, chorizo or veggie)
- Veggie (vegan) burger
- Tater tots
Beavers Coffee + Donuts
Location: Food trucks
At festival:
Offerings:
- Nine or 15 fresh mini doughnuts (cinnamon, powdered sugar, chocolate, s’mores, strawberry bella or turtle)
- 35 fresh mini donuts (cinnamon, powdered sugar or chocolate)
Billy Goat Tavern & Grill
Location: Booth 6
At festival:
Offerings:
- Single cheeseburger
- Double cheeseburger
- Ribeye steak sandwich
BJ’s Market & Bakery
Location: Booth 20
At festival:
Offerings:
- Mustard-fried catfish
- Fried dough
- House-made potato chips
- Peach cobbler
Bop Bar Truck
Location: Food trucks
At festival:
Offerings:
- Spicy pork rice bowl
- Bul-go-gi (beef) rice bowl
- Fried dumpling
Brightwok Kitchen
Location: Booth 25
At festival:
Offerings:
- Homemade chili coconut curry bowl with Midwest antiobiotic-free chicken (medium spice)
- Homemade tahini ginger salad bowl
Broken English Taco Pub
Location: Booth 28
At festival:
Offerings:
- Carne asada, fried chicken or tinga de pollo tacos (two per order)
Bruges Brothers
Location: Food trucks
At festival:
Offerings:
- Beef- and duck-fat frites with Belgian aioli
- Loaded baked potato frites
- Braised oxtail poutine
Caffe Gelato
Location: Both 38
At festival:
Offerings:
- Gelato cup or cone (two scoops): Peanut butter with brownie chunks or Italian vanilla with chocolate chips
- Sorbet cone (two scoops): Lemon or strawberry
Cajun Connoisseur
Location: Food trucks
At festival:
Offerings:
- Jumbo shrimp and grits
- Lobster mac and cheese
- Jambalaya
Carbon Live Fire Mexican Grill
Location: Booth 13
At festival:
Offerings:
- Tequila lime marinated grilled chicken taco
- Premium fire-grilled steak taco
Cheesie’s Pub and Grub
Location: Food trucks
At festival:
Offerings:
- The Tenderizer
- The Mac
- Tendy tots
Chicago’s Hot Dog (Chicago’s Dog House)
Location: Booth 10
At festival:
Offerings:
- Smoked alligator sausage
- Classic Chicago-style hot dog
- The original Maxwell Street polish sausage
Churro Factory
Location: Booth 40
At festival:
Offerings:
- Churro
- Funnel cake
- Churro sundae
- Funnel cake sundae (not on menu, but 17 tickets gets it for you)
Connie’s Pizza
Location: Booth 32
At festival:
Offerings:
- Deep-dish sausage pizza slice
- Deep-dish cheese pizza slice
- Frozen chocolate-covered banana
Italian Ice (watermelon or lemon)
Da Lobsta
Location: Food trucks
At festival:
Offerings:
- Lobster mac and cheese
- Traditional lobster roll (New England-style bun toasted with tarragon mayo and warm butter)
- Chicago lobster roll (New England-style bun toasted with sriracha mayo and topped with spicy giardiniera peppers)
- Hush puppies
Dia De Los Tamales
Location: Booth 30
At festival:
Offerings:
- Slow-roasted Cuban pork tamale with Cuban fricase (gluten-free)
- Roasted pepper and goat cheese tamale with red pepper crema (vegetarian and gluten-free)
- Spicy black bean and corn tamale with salsa roja (vegetarian and gluten-free)
- Buffalo chicken tamale with blue cheese, shredded carrot and celery (gluten-free)
Dinky Donuts
Location: Booth 26
At festival:
Offerings:
- Bag of six dinky doughnuts with one sugar topping (cinnamon, old-fashioned sugar cream pie, chocolate or ancho Mamma’s chile)
Doom Street Eats
Location: Booth 37
At festival:
Offerings:
- Bacon ranch mac and cheese grilled cheese
- Chipotle chili beer cheese nachos (vegetarian)
- BBQ pulled pork sliders
El Patron
Location: Food trucks
At festival:
Offerings:
- Steak nachos
- Pork burrito
- Steak tacos (two per order)
The Eli’s Cheesecake Co.
Location: Booth 18
At festival:
Offerings:
- Original plain cheesecake (with strawberries)
- Turtle cheesecake
- Cookie butter cheesecake smoosh with vanilla ice cream
- Chocolate chip crunch dipper
Farmer’s Fridge
Location: Booth 8
At festival:
Offerings:
- Avocado toast
- Chile lime watermelon
- Southwest salad
Fat Shallot
Location: Food trucks
At festival:
Offerings:
- Grilled cheese (Muenster cheese with caramelized onions and sauteed spinach on rustic sourdough bread)
- Truffle fries
- Spicy sesame fries
Franco’s Ristorante
Location: Booth 21
At festival:
Offerings:
- Italian ice (lemon or watermelon)
- Sea salt and caramel gelato
- Nutella brioche gelato sandwich
Frannie’s Cafe
Location: Booth 7
At festival:
Offerings:
- Italian beef sandwich
- Italian sausage sandwich
- Italian ice (lemonade or mango)
Fudge Pot
Location: Booth 15
At festival:
Offerings:
- Fudge sampler (one piece each of chocolate, chocolate walnut and maple walnut)
- Milk chocolate-dipped strawberry
- Dark chocolate-covered pineapple
Garifuna Flava: A Taste of Belize
Location: Booth 25
At festival:
Offerings:
- Panades (four per order)
- Jerk chicken with rice and beans and plantain (one per order)
- Fried ripe plantains (six per order)
Giordano’s
Location: Food trucks
At festival:
Offerings:
- Six-inch pizza (stuffed cheese, pepperoni or sausage)
Gold Coast Dogs
Location: Booth 33
At festival:
Offerings:
- Chicago-style or plain hot dog
- Chicago-style or plain jumbo hot dog
- Maxwell Street or plain Polish sausage
- Chicago-style or plain fries
Hakka Bakka Indian Kati Rolls
Location: Booth 29
At festival:
Offerings:
- Chicken tikka kati roll
- Lamb shammi burger
Location: Food trucks
At festival:
Offerings:
- Chicken tenders (four per order)
- Chicken wings (three per order)
- French fries
Iyanze
Location: Booth 34
At festival:
Offerings:
- Jerk chicken with red rice and beans and plantain
- Vegetarian greens and plantain
- Jollof rice and ginger garlic wings
- Coconut rice and sauteed goat meat
Jin Ju Restaurant
Location: Booth 27
At festival:
Offerings:
- Chap chae
- Bulgogi (beef ribeye)
- Kalbi (beef short rib)
Just Salad
Location: Booth 25
At festival:
Offerings:
- Chipotle cowboy salad
- Smokehouse steak wrap
- Thai chicken crunch salad
Kasia’s Deli
Location: Booth 14
At festival:
Offerings:
- Pierogi (potato, buffalo chicken, cheddar and jalapeno or Philly cheesesteak) with sour cream
- Polish sausage on a bun with onion, kraut, pickle, tomato and mustard
- Chicken and vegetable skewer with curry basmati rice
- Potato pancake (latke) with bacon bits, sauteed onion, sour cream and pickle
La Bomba Restaurant
Location: Booth 12
At festival:
Offerings:
- Jibarito plate with Puerto Rican rice
- Steak and onions plate with Puerto Rican rice
- Chicken or pork shish-kebab
La Cocinita Food Truck
Location: Food trucks
At festival:
Offerings:
- The pork patacon (crispy plantain “sandwich” with pulled pork, queso fresco and spicy guava sauce)
- Chicken tacos (three per order) with cheese and chipotle crema
- Black bean and cheese arepa with Venezuelan avocado salsa
La Mexicana
Location: Booth 5
At festival:
Offerings:
- Paleta (lemon-lime, mango, strawberry or watermelon)
Lawrence’s Fish and Shrimp
Location: Booth 1
At festival:
Offerings:
- Shrimp (coconut, large or popcorn)
Lifeway Kefir Shop
Location: Food trucks
At festival:
Offerings:
- Original or mango krozen kefir with two toppings (chocolate chips, granola, sprinkles or blueberries)
Little Beet Table
Location: Booth 28
At festival:
Offerings:
- Cauliflower hummus with toasted, gluten-free bread
- Cucumber gazpacho with toasted marcona almonds
- Spring garlic
Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria
Location: Booth 23
At festival:
Offerings:
- Malnati salad
- Pizza (cheese, cheese and sausage or cheese and pepperoni)
MAD Social
Location: Booth 28
At festival:
Offerings:
- Havarti mac and cheese
- Seafood ceviche
- Bao bun taco
Miller’s Pub
Location: Booth 35
At festival:
Offerings:
- BBQ pulled pork sliders and coleslaw
- Roasted turkey leg with BBQ sauce (optional)
O’Briens Restaurant & Bar
Location: Booth 36
At festival:
Offerings:
- Corned beef sandwich
- Celtic corn on the cob
- Sweet potato fries
Oak Street Beach Cafe
Location: Booth 24
At festival:
Offerings:
- All natural smoked BBQ brisket style turkey sliders with garlic potatoes
- “Slipper” tail lobster with garlic potatoes
- Grilled garlic butter skewered shrimp with garlic potatoes
- Loaded BBQ brisket-style turkey nachos
Pork & Mindy’s
Location: Booth 26
At festival:
Offerings:
- Da beef (Italian beef sandwich)
- Buffalo chicken sangwich
- Pig candy (Candied bacon)
Porkchop
Location: Booth 39
At festival:
Offerings:
- Pulled chicken or pork sandwich
- Mac and cheese
Puffs of Doom
Location: Booth 27
At festival:
Offerings:
- Sweet puffs (salted caramel chocolate or banana coconut Nutella)
- Savory puffs (bourbon BBQ pulled pork or jalapeno popper chicken)
- Cookies and cream ice cream puff
Punky’s Pizza & Pasta
Location: Booth 11
At festival:
Offerings:
- Fried ravioli
- Eggplant parmigiana sandwich
- Fried Oreos
Ricobene’s on 26th Street
Location: Booth 4
At festival:
Offerings:
- Italian breaded steak sandwich
- Beef and sausage combo sandwich
- Boneless buffalo chicken wings
Riva
Location: Booth 28
At festival:
Offerings:
- Seafood gumbo
- Shrimp ceviche
- Shrimp pot
Robinson’s No. 1 Ribs
Location: Booth 17
At festival:
Offerings:
- BBQ ribs
- Rib tips
- BBQ pulled chicken sandwich
- Boneless rib sandwich
Rojo Gusano
Location: Booth 29
At festival:
Offerings:
- Double Korean BBQ beef taco
- Esquites (corn in a cup)
- Pork adobo taco
Seoul Taco
Location: Booth 26
At festival:
Offerings:
- Bulgogi steak tacos (two per order)
- Spicy pork tacos (two per order)
Stan’s Donuts & Coffee
Location: Food trucks
At festival:
Offerings:
- Glazed doughnut
- Lemon pistachio old fashioned
- Biscoff pocket
Star of Siam
Location: Booth 22
At festival:
Offerings:
- Pot stickers (chicken and vegetables)
- Pad Thai noodles (vegetarian)
- Grilled chicken satay with peanut sauce and cucumber salad
- Ice cream (coconut, mango or green tea)
Texas de Brazil
Location: Booth 9
At festival:
Offerings:
- Brazilian sausage with roll
- Chicken wrapped in bacon with roll
- Garlic steak with roll
- Combo platter (one of each)
Tuscany
Location: Booth 19
At festival:
Offerings:
- Sausage sandwich
- Chicken vesuvio
- Toasted ravioli
Ukai Japanese Restuarant
Location: Booth 3
At festival:
Offerings:
- Dumplings (shrimp and vegetable)
- Yakisoba ramen (noodles with chicken and vegetables)
- Tempura (shrimp and vegetable)
Vee-Vee’s African Restaurant
Location: Booth 16
At festival:
Offerings:
- Red beans and rice with jerk chicken
- Fried plantain with sauteed goat
- Jollof rice with sauteed goat
Warm Belly Bakery
Location: Booth 29
At festival:
Offerings:
- Hazelnut chocolate chip cookie
- S’mores cookie
- Peanut butter and jelly cookie
Yum Dum
Location: Booth 27
At festival:
Offerings:
- Kimchi cheese fries
- Pork belly steamed buns (two per order)
More Top Picks Massage Gun
Dining experiences
Highlights picked by Tribune critics:
Friday
Chef Oliver Poilevey
6:30 p.m., Celebrity Chef du Jour ($45)
In a tribute to his late father, Jean-Claude Poilevey (shown above), the founder and chef of Le Bouchon and La Sardine, will cook a menu of French classics: sorrel vichyssoise, escargot vol au vent (that’s snails in buttery puff pastry, folks), roasted rabbit saddle and his dad’s apple tart with maple bacon ice cream.
Hakka Bakka
11 a.m.-9 p.m., Booth 29 (Requires tickets)
The kati rolls at Hakka Bakka are so good they made our book of 101 things to eat right now in Chicago. Try the chicken tikka kati roll or lamb shammi burger.
Saturday
American Girl Cafe
11:30 a.m., Celebrity Chef du Jour ($30)
Beginning with cinnamon rolls, the way a brunch should, and heavy with the season’s fresh strawberries (from strawberry and fromage blanc salad to strawberry shortcake, natch), the American Girl Cafe Brunch will please the young gourmands in your house.
The Little Beet Table
10 a.m.-9 p.m., Booth 28 (Requires tickets)
Plant-based eating is all the rage. Join the movement at The Little Beet Table, with cauliflower hummus and toasted gluten-free bread or cucumber gazpacho with Marcona almonds and spring garlic.
Sunday
Chefs Beverly Kim and Johnny Clark
5 p.m., Celebrity Chef du Jour ($45)
A Michelin-starred meal in the middle of Taste? Seek out this three-course menu from the chef-owners of Avondale restaurant Parachute: pork belly and mung bean pancake, grilled swordfish with tomatoes and nam prik, and pavlova with sweet corn, coconut and blackberries.
Beverages
Drinks are available throughout the grounds, including Pepsi and Anheuser-Busch products. Buckingham Fountain Plaza also includes a beer hall, wine garden and cocktail lounge.
Music
Acts chosen by Tribune critics:
Wednesday
Must see: Eryn Allen Kane
5:30 p.m., Petrillo Music Shell
The Chicago by-way-of Detroit R&B singer oozes rhythm and blues. Her soulful, powerhouse vocals have a worn-in rasp to them, not unlike Ms. Tina Turner — with just the right moves and a whole lot of energy.
Try to catch: ShowYouSuck
2:40 p.m., Bud Light Stage
The rapper is not only releasing his own infectious tracks, but has joined forces with local mash-up machine The Hood Internet to form the stellar Air Credits. There’s no telling what he’ll have in store for his Taste set — it could be anything from rhymes about pizza, to actual pizza.
Thursday
Must see: Cafe Tacuba
6:45 p.m., Petrillo Music Shell
Bow down in the presence of rock royalty in Cafe Tacuba. No, not rock en espanol. These giants hath not time for your semantic shenanigans. This band, around since the late 1980s, was super cool in the U.S. for a while, when rock en Espanol was all the rage. Sonically, it moved through punk, rock, a little bit of ska before conceiving the epic double album “Reves/Yo Soy.” The band, nor its music, has been the same since. Frontman Ruben Albarran is a magnificent showman. Do. Not. Miss. This.
Try to catch: Esso Afrojam Funkbeat
5:30 p.m., Petrillo Music Shell
Conveniently, this is the opener for Cafe Tacuba. It’s a big band that merges Latinate flair with oh, so tasty funk. Lyrics are en Espanol, but your feet won’t care a whit once the polyrhythms take over your soul. Start screaming “Sabrosa” as soon as they show up, and hope your request is honored.
Friday
Must see: Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals
6:45 p.m., Petrillo Music Shell
If an outdoors food and drink festival just screams rock ‘n’ roll with a driving groove that’s good to dance to, you shouldn’t miss Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals. Harper, who you may remember for the song “Steal My Kisses” (a staple on late-’90s college radio), also plays a mean slide guitar. Who doesn’t want to watch the sun set to a mean, slide guitar solo with a giant slice of pizza or plate of tacos in hand?
Try to catch: Jonas Friddle & The Majority
4 p.m., Bud Light Stage
Friday is “folk and country day” on the Bud Light Stage and if you can catch one set there, let it be Jonas Friddle & The Majority. The band’s take on bluegrass Americana has a decidedly “down home” feel for a band that calls Chicago home, but hopefully they decide to break out a Beatles’ cover or two. The group does a groovy rendition of “Come Together” that’s just begging for more jug!
Saturday
Must see: The Gold Web
4 p.m., Bud Light Stage
Chicago’s answer to the swirling, glam-bomb, psych-pop a la the Flaming Lips — but The Gold Web is much more fun. In addition to the tunes, where else will you be able to see such righteous garb such as black and gold wings, face masks and metallic fringe in the middle of the day?
Try to catch: Split Single
6:40 p.m., Bud Light Stage
Pop-punk like a sucker-punch to the face — when Split Single lets it rip, it really rips. “It” being Jason Narducy’s blend of The Replacements’ Paul Westerberg’s effortless cool and big riffs that hit like a crashing wave and have been a mainstay in the city’s ever-changing (but always reassuringly familiar) rock and roll landscape.
Sunday
Must see: The O’Jays
5:45 p.m., Petrillo Music Shell
Nothing sounds more necessary right now than starting a “Love Train” and R&B/soul legends, The O’Jays are sure to play that hit among others during their headlining set Sunday night. Put your dancing shoes on and get ready to feel good.
Try to catch: Tovi Khali
Noon, Bud Light Stage
Tovi Khali’s blend of R&B, jazz and funk, paired with her rich, soothing vocals, draws on her native New Orleans roots and is worth a walk to the Bud Light Stage in the early afternoon. Her sophomore release, “The Groove” captures the spirit of artists like Bill Withers and Betty Davis but is 100 percent Tovi.
Art (new)
Street art and graffiti live painting: Local artists — including Bunny XLV, ZORZORZOR, Miguel Aquilar aka “Kane One” and Tyrue “Slang” Jones — work on-site each day from noon to 6 p.m.
Stomping Grounds Chicago: Performances from local dance companies during the day, and dance lessons followed by live music nightly. Click here for a schedule.
March of the puppets: A daily procession through the festival of artists, performers and puppets starting at 3 p.m. at Buckingham Fountain Plaza.
Sources: City of Chicago, CTA, Divvy, Millennium Garages, Tribune reporting, The Noun Project
(function(document) {
var CSS = [
“//graphics.chicagotribune.com/taste-of-chicago-2017-guide/css/styles.css”
];
CSS.forEach(function(url) {
var link = document.createElement(‘link’);
link.setAttribute(‘rel’, ‘stylesheet’);
link.setAttribute(‘href’, url);
document.head.appendChild(link);
});
})(document);
//graphics.chicagotribune.com/taste-of-chicago-2017-guide/js/app.min.js