Taste of Chicago kicks off in September for first time
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Day one of the Taste of Chicago was under way in Grant Park Friday – and this year, the food fest comes with some major changes.
As CBS 2's Sara Machi reported, the biggest change is the timing. It was pushed back from its traditional July dates because of the NASCAR Street Race this year – which took over a lot of the same geographical area in Grant Park downtown.
But there have been many more changes over the years - maybe more than you realized or remembered.
In 1980, Mayor Jane Byrne started the festival on North Michigan Avenue. It ran for only one day that year.
In 1981, the Taste moved to Grant Park, and over the decades, it grew to a nearly two-week food festival. Its initial weekend at the end of June used to coincide with the Chicago Pride Parade and often, the Crosstown Classic game between the Cubs and the White Sox. Its 10-day run carried on through the 4th of July.
The Taste reached a record attendance of 3.68 million people in 1999.
2023 Taste of Chicago: Here's what you need to know
But in 2010, the onetime climax of the Taste, the July 3 Fireworks Extravaganza with the Grant Park Symphony Orchestra, was eliminated in an effort to save money.
By 2012, the Taste had been scaled back to five days – though still at the same general time of year. This is the first time it has been held in September.
This year, you can expect to see 35 vendors in for the three-day event. We talked to one woman who came in from Ohio specifically for this event, and says that the schedule change made that possible for her.
"It makes it easier, yeah, because then I can focus on like my me time – like this is my me time coming down here," said Laronda Thomas of Cincinnati, "and it's great, because, you know, the holidays, we're with the family, but now, this is like off of the holiday – to give me a reason to go out, you know, to move away from Cincinnati for the weekend and just have some good fun."
The line was long Friday afternoon at the booth for Badou Senegalese Cuisine – where the jerk chicken was a hit. It was the restaurant's first time at the Taste.
"Oh man, I've been longing to do the Taste of Chicago for a long, long, long, long, time, and this year, it happened, thanks to God – because the Taste of Chicago will definitely put you on the map," said owner Badara Diakhate. "I want to be on the map. I want Chicago to know that Badou Senegalese Cuisine exists, and I'm here – it's real – because the food is awesome."
Badou Senegalese Cuisine is located at 2049 W. Howard St. in Rogers Park.
Also Friday, everyone gathered for the Taste was asked to come together and do the Cha Cha Slide in honor of DJ Casper – the Chicago native who passed away last month. A proclamation from Mayor Brandon Johnson was also read declaring Friday DJ Casper Day in Chicago.
The Taste runs from noon to 8 p.m. Friday through Sunday.