The Taste of Elmwood Park returns Aug. 5-Aug. 8, delivering food, fun and festivities at Central Park, at the corner of 75th Avenue and Fullerton Avenue.
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“We’re very excited,” said Lauren Gruber, a member of the village’s special events team who is helping organize the event. “We’re really looking forward to it. We’ve had some other, smaller events in the village and they were pretty well attended.”
Gruber said the festival would have 25 food vendors, one fewer than the festival had in 2019. The festival also will feature the annual Bocce Ball Tournament for the Mayor’s Cup. The festival will feature carnival rides and games for kids as well as other activities such as Yoga in the Park and games like Giant Jenga.
Last year’s festival was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This year’s festival is going forward even as restrictions return in some areas of the country due to a surge in cases driven by the delta variant. In Chicago, masks are still not required outside but are recommended for indoors. Still, the massive Lollapalooza music festival went forward over the weekend, drawing tens of thousands of people to Grant Park.
In Elmwood Park, there were 11 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the village last week. Overall for Cook County, the community transmission level is considered to be “moderate,” according to the Cook County Health Department.
Gruber said Taste of Elmwood Park organizers are taking some mitigation measures. For example, tables will be spaced six feet apart, and there will be hand-washing stations scattered throughout the festival. To create the needed space for the spaced-out seating, the arts and crafts section at the festival was eliminated this year.
Festival Schedule:
Thursday, Aug. 5 – 5 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Friday, Aug. 6 – 5 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 7 – Noon to 11 p.m.
Sunday, Aug. 8 – Noon to 10 p.m.
Music schedule:
Thursday, Aug. 5
Everett Dean & The Lonesome Hearts (rockabilly) – 6 p.m. to 7:45 p.m.
7th Heaven (pop rock) – 8:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
Friday, Aug. 6
Jersey Girls (tribute to all divas) – 5:45 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Ginger Road (country hits) – 7 p.m. to 8:15 p.m.
The Buckinghams (mega hits) – 9 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 7
Mr. Myers (Caribbean rock) – 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
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Rick Lindy & The Wild Ones (Elvis, Johnny Cash, pop rock) – 3:15 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Simply Elton (Elton John tribute) – 5:15 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
One of the Boyzz (roadhouse rock) – 7:15 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
The Lounge Puppets (80s hair bands) – 9:15 p.m. to 10:45 p.m.
Sunday, Aug. 8
Ocean’s Rat Pack (Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, & Sammy Davis Jr.) – 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
R-Gang (R&B dance band) – 3:15 p.m. to 4:45 p.m.
Hilly Rockstarz (modern country) 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Too Hype Crew (old school hip hop) – 7:45 p.m. to 9:30 p.m