Trifter

Once again Chicago prepares itself for one of the top city events of the year:  the annual Taste of Chicago. Restaurants around Chicago-land will again offer their delicacies to the millions of people that flock the festival each year.  From barbecue ribs to Mexican favorites to Chinese to all kinds of ethnic flavors, everyone is sure to find something that will please the palate, and for some, it is also an opportunity to try out new cuisines that are unfamiliar but that have been in the to-try list. No shortage of choices: there are only 70+ vendors to choose from!

The Taste of Chicago is a great festival because it not only showcases the best of food, it also offers numerous other attractions, including cooking classes and other family-oriented pavilions, free concerts, activities for the kids and the opportunity to visit the Grant Park area in the summer, one of the best times of the year to appreciate Chicago’s majestic beauty.  Just one more reason for visiting this great American city!

The introduction of the festival happened 19 years ago, in 1980, and was originally not intended to last the 10 days it does now-a-days, but only as part of the 4th of July celebrations and for one day. But after the first year’s success, it was extended to 10 days and moved to Grant Park, apparently because more vendors wanted to sign up and to avoid traffic disruptions on Michigan Avenue (the first year’s location). Since then, the festival has been held with tremendous success with visitors from all over the globe attending.

By tradition, the festival begins the Friday before Independence Day. This year, the festival will begin on June 26 and end on July 5. The culminating event of the festival is the 3d of July Fireworks extravaganza held on the lakefront. The fireworks are launched from boats in Lake Michigan to the rhythm of the music broadcast live through the radio (101.9 FM The Mix).

To checkout complete information about the 2009 Taste of Chicago, visit the website at  http://www.explorechicago.org/city/en/things_see_do/event_landing/special_events/mose/taste_of_chicago.html