Taste of Chicago 2024 Will Include 40 Food Vendors Over Three Days in Grant Park | Eater Chicago

"An annual free, three-day music-and-food festival moved to Sept. 6–8 this year with headliners CeeLo Green (Sept. 6), Yahritza y Su Esencia (Sept. 7), and Atlas Genius (Sept. 8). The format remains largely unchanged: about 40 vendor stalls, free admission, promised food trucks and scaled-down neighborhood pop-ups (one held July 27 and another scheduled for Aug. 17). Organizers face criticism for the calendar shift tied to a NASCAR deal, an inaccessible festival website, a reduced vendor count versus past years, labor challenges that make restaurants cautious about participating, and direct competition with a later, upscale culinary event. Notable activations include a giant cheesecake cutting and chocolate-covered frozen cheesecake-on-a-stick from a local bakery, but chefs who normally appear at high-profile city culinary galas are absent and dedicated vegan options remain scarce." - Ashok Selvam