1 Taste of Chicago (Grant Park) Chicago’s largest outdoor food festival offers the opportunity to sample offerings from Chicago restaurants ranging from small mom-and-pops to mega-groups. (July 8-10)
2 Roscoe Village Burger Fest (Belmont & Damen) Most of us like a good burger and this event serves up beef patties on buns as well as two music stages, arts and crafts plus a Kids’ Zone to keep the youngs busy as you pound burgers. (July 15-17)
3 Wicker Park Fest (Damen & North) If you’re throwing a fest in Chicago, you have to have some awesome chow available, and this fest has music, food vendors and it’s also held in a restaurant-rich neighborhood. (July 22-24)
4 Taste of Lincoln Avenue (Lincoln & Fullerton) Presumptuously promising “local food favorites that you’ve definitely missed over the last year,” Taste of Lincoln Avenue is an iconic festival, with lots of music and food, chowing into its thirty-seventh year. (July 22-24)
5 Lollapalooza (Grant Park) Many go to Lollapalooza for the music (understandable, with Dua Lipa, Machine Gun Kelly and others on stage), but many also come for the food, which promises to go way beyond “typical carnival-type fare.” (July 28-31)
Dining and Drinking Editor for Newcity, David also writes a weekly food column for Wednesday Journal in Oak Park and is a frequent contributor of food/drink and travel pieces to the Chicago Tribune, Plate Magazine and other publications. David has also contributed chapters to several books, including Street Food Around the World, Street Food, and The Chicago Food Encyclopedia. Contact: dhammond@newcity.com
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Dining & Drinking Top 5: July 2023 There are many food festivals to enjoy in July, and most are taking place outdoors, in the sunshine and fresh air, so put on some sunscreen – and your feedbag – and indulge.
Dining and Drinking Top 5: May 2022 The weather is encouraging us to go out and have fun, even with the enduring specter of the plague hanging over our heads. To be on the safe side, check websites for these events.
Dining & Drinking Top 5: April 2022 Chicago is coming back with many restaurants, bars and other venues starting to do something close to business-as-usual. In celebration of the world reopening, there are a lot of drink-forward get-togethers in April.
Dining & Drinking Top 5: October 2022 Sometimes it seems we’re living in a very fearful place, so why not take both a breather and trip to one of the following Chicago food/drink events in October. Maybe, if just for a moment, you’ll feel some respite from what seems impending doom.
Dining & Drinking Top 5: December 2022 Yo, ho, ho! It’s that time of year when unbridled eating, drinking and general merrymaking become the order of the day. So go forth, enjoy life while you can, and happy holidays
