David Iglow, volunteer president and co-founder of Taste of Park Ridge, says the event is an annual celebration of the high-octane volunteerism of the town.
Now in its 24th year, over 200 volunteers came together to present Taste of Park Ridge from Thursday, July 9 through Saturday, July 11, in a swirl of local food, live music, and hometown charm on the streets of Uptown Park Ridge.
Iglow said this celebration of community spirit and local flavors featured 22 local area food vendors, live musical performances, a family fun zone, and Canopies on Courtland, a showcase for businesses and community resources.
“Our Canopies on Courtland, a business Expo operated in conjunction with the Park Ridge Chamber of Commerce on Saturday, extends programming beyond dining options to feature the myriad of goods and services that Park Ridge has to offer,” Iglow said.
Meredith Velan of Park Ridge attended Saturday with family.
The addition of the family fun zone creates wonderful diversions on site for kids young and old – older teens can find entertainment and play, alongside the 4 and 5-year-olds.
Kimberly Jones, Maine Township Supervisor, participated in the Canopies on Courtland business expo.
“Canopies on Courtland also gives the public important access to local government officials and provides them with important information about the programs that serve our community,” Jones said.
According to Iglow, four new food vendors joined Taste of Park Ridge this year – Lenny’s Chop Shop, Mully’s Grill, Rita’s Italian Ice and Thalaiva’s Indian Kitchen.
Michael DeLeon of Park Ridge attended Taste of Park Ridge with friends.
“We enjoyed tasting the Indian and Nepali cuisine from Himalayan Restaurant; we like trying things we have never tried before, and also ordering those items we have tried and loved,” DeLeon said.
Breana Jimenez attended with family.
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“The kids are pretty adventurous, and today we tried the Joojeh Kabab with rice from the Shemroon Kabab House,” Jimenez said.
Iglow says that although the Taste of Park Ridge corporation is a not-for-profit tax-exempt organization, the event is not a fundraiser, with 80% of sales going to food vendors and 20% supporting future programming.
“Park Ridge is an extraordinary community, an ideal place to live and work. Taste of Park Ridge gives us all a way to share that fact,” Iglow said.
Gina Grillo is a freelancer for Pioneer Press.