Chicago hosts a large number of festivals every year. Among them, Taste of Chicago is popular. It is regarded as the greatest gastronomic gathering in the Midwest, chicagovski.com writes.
How did it all start?
The history of this festival dates back to 1980. It was then that restaurateur Arnie Morton suggested to his colleagues that they organize an event dedicated to American cuisine, where Chicagoans would be able to taste delicious dishes prepared by talented chefs. To bring this idea to life, he turned to the then-mayor Jane Byrne for help. The city administration supported Arnie and provided him with the necessary funds to hold the event. Thus, for the first time, on July 4, 1980, Chicago hosted the one-day Taste of Chicago festival. Though the hosts anticipated 100,000 people, 250,000 showed up. In one day, the festival managed to raise $300,000 from the sale of food and soda. In 1981, Taste of Chicago began to be held for 10 days in Grant Park in the heart of the city in the open air.
The modern Taste of Chicago is a major international event that gathers millions of food lovers. Participants of the event are representatives of the restaurant business from Chicago, New York, Los Angeles and other cities. In addition, not only Americans but also numerous foreigners traditionally become its guests, as this festival is considered one of the main culinary events in Illinois. The primary objective of Taste of Chicago is to showcase the versatility of American gastronomy.
The event is intended to draw as many attendees as possible. Its unique program is aimed at bringing together people from all over the world who attend to have a good meal and a great time.
Features of Taste of Chicago
Every year, the territory of Grant Park is decorated with brightly colored tents and awnings, where active cooking takes place, followed by tasting of various dishes. Participants compete with each other to see who has the tastiest, most beautiful dishes. The choice of food presented at the festival is huge (from ethnic to exotic). For 10 days, more than 80 restaurants in the city offer people their culinary masterpieces prepared according to both original and classic recipes.
Naturally, Taste of Chicago visitors are first introduced to American cuisine, especially the menus of Chicago’s restaurants and cafes. The latter includes curry guacamole, tacos, Chicago-style pizza, hot dogs, cheesecakes, ice cream and various desserts. Restaurants that offer their dishes to festival visitors benefit from participation, as they advertise themselves. In addition to cooking, chefs hold interesting master classes, showing how to prepare and serve Asian, European and American dishes.
However, the festival program is not limited to tastings alone. In addition to food, the festival offers many cultural events. You can digest your food and burn off calories by participating in contests and dancing to music of various styles and trends. Famous artists perform on the main stage of the park. Children will not be bored at this festival either. For them, the organizers have created a special corner where games, contests and songs performed by talented animators are held.
From the above, we can conclude that Taste of Chicago is full of fun and surprises for guests. Remember, visiting it will require endurance and fortitude from everyone, as it is very difficult to resist the temptation to try everything. In addition, everyone will be able to learn a lot of new recipes at the master classes. Definitely, the whole family should attend this event.