In Chicago, food and music just go together. Ergo, no surprise that two big food festivals also feature bands and two mega music festivals include food vendors. Even a free summer jazz series is steps away from a slew of food counters and restaurants.
Diet after Labor Day. Head over to Grant Park July 11-15, 2018, to taste more than 70 restaurant favorites that have made Chicago a foodie town. The festival is free but tasting is by tickets. They are sold in strips of 14 for $10 (expect a $3 charge for Taste amenities). Also available are 1-6 tickets for smaller “Taste of Portions” from each food vendor. Look for pop-up restaurants, food trucks and five-day regular booths. New this year is the Taste Oasis tent, a cool AC place in the park’s Butler Field to hang out and taste. Taste Oasis is $50 for the day you choose.
Get a discount by visiting a participating restaurant before Taste begins.. See Taste of Chicago discount info. For hours, map and guides to all the Taste-Of activities visit City of Chicago/Taste update.
Great a great mix of country music and food at the Windy City Smokeout, July 13-15, 2018. The event stretches between Grand Avenue and the Chicago River. What to expect: barbeque flavors and styles from all over including Nashville and Chicago plus such folks as Renee Blair and Brett Young. For tickets, hours and other info go to Windy City Smokeout.
July 20-22, 2018 in Union Park, 1501 W. Randolph St., Chicgo. More than 40 bands keep the music going July 29-22, 2018 in Union Park, 1501 W. Randolph St. Drawing from across the US and 26 countries, it features emerging artists and has wallet-friendly ticket prices. It’s also a place to start or add to your vinyl record collection. The Record Fair is sponsored by CHIRP Radio. For the music lineup and more information visit Pitchfork.
Bruno Mars, Travis Scott and Arctic Monkeys are a few of the headliners at the 2018 Lolapalooza event. Taking place in Grant Park Aug. 2-5 it features 170 bands entertaining on eight stages. This mega festival, begun in 1991, is still going strong. Single-day tickets are available. For who is appearing when visit lineup.
Over at Navy Pier, a free Friday jazz series continues from July 13 through Aug. 24, 2918. It is on the Lake Stage in Polk Bros Park across from the Navy Pier entrance at 600 E. Grand Ave. Along with its Friday Schedule, Watercolors will have Latin Jazz on July 15 and features Felicia P. Fields and E. Faye Butler on July 21. The Pier has plenty of food counters and restaurant choices to feed the bod while the music feeds the soul. For more information, visit Navy Pier.