What began as a one day festival on July 4th, 1980, is now a 10 day event, is 27 years old, and is the second largest tourist attraction in Illinois. The organizers had expected 75,000 the first year; 250,000 came! Over 6 million now attend The Taste of Chicago during its 10 days, and its success has had many other cities across the area and around the country copying it with "tastes" of their own.
Over 5 dozen of Chicago's finest restaurants participate, and music and numerous other activities are included. There is no admission cost. Tickets are used to purchase food and drinks, and a sheet of 12 tickets cost $8, with $2 going to pay for amenities.
A fringe benefit is the opportunity to visit Buckingham Fountain on the grounds...
... and Millennium Park across the street, with "The Bean" (actually named "Cloud Gate" by artist Anish Kapoor)...
... and the The Crown Fountain by Jaume Plensa, a pair of towers that project video images of Chicago citizens with water exiting their mouths...
A visit downtown would be wasted without a walk along Monroe Street Harbor and a view of the lake and the anchored boats.
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