June assures us that, yes, summer is here, and winter won’t be back for like, what, two months, give or take. Warmer weather means more festivals and outdoor food events, so put on your sunblock and your feedbag and enjoy the foods of summer in Chicago.
1 Lincoln Park Greek Fest (2701 North Sheffield) You can expect a lot of things at the Lincoln Park Greek Fest, including gyros, souvlaki, and, of course, music and dancing. June 2-4
2 Windy City Hot Dog Fest (4000 North Milwaukee) Many claim to offer the best hot dog in Chicago: this annual event in Portage Park determines who will legitimately claim that honor. June 3-4
3 Chicago Food Truck Festival (2300 South Indiana) Fifty food trucks are scheduled to show up in the South Loop, and summer is the time to purchase a meal from a moving kitchen… and eat it curbside. June 24-25
4 Strawberry Festival (Long Grove) Chefs, shops and pop-ups welcome lovers of the big red berry to this annual festival, which features music and many strawberry-forward bites. June 23-25
5 Taste of Chicago–Humboldt Park (Humboldt Park) With a lagoon and surrounding parkland designed by Jens Jensen, perhaps Chicago’s most illustrious landscape architect, Humboldt Park is where you can enjoy some of the most popular street-level snacks in the city. June 24
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
Dining & Drinking Top 5: February 2023 T.S. Eliot was wrong. February is the cruelest month: wet, gray, cold and generally not so much fun. Still, there are entertaining options, and here are five of them.
Dining & Drinking Top 5: January 2023 January is traditionally the month for recovering from weeks of rollicking good times and feasting…but that doesn’t mean the good times—or the feasting—must end. Sure, you may have resolved to maybe modify your food and alcohol intake, but there are many amusements this month... and many involve eating and drinking.
Dining & Drinking Top 5: March 2023 March is the month that starts us tentatively thinking that maybe, just maybe the cold weather is over and warm spring is on the way. Well, we shall see, but one thing for sure is that there are, indeed, some cool things to do (and eat, and drink) in March.
Dining & Drinking Top 5: September 2023 September in Chicago is the month of festivals; communities from Hyde Park to Evanston are rolling out the barrel, grilling up the meat, and laying down a spread of local food and drink that attracts foodists from all over the country.
Dining & Drinking Top 5: October 2023 Hey, it’s not yet winter; no need to start hibernating right away. There’s still a lot of cool stuff to do, some of it out of doors, so put on a hat, wear gloves if you need ‘em, and get with it…while you can.
