Taste of Chicago Grant Park — Plan Your Visit

Taste of Chicago  >  Grant Park  >  Plan Your Visit

 


Date, Location & Hours

  • Date: September 8-10, 2023
  • Grant Park, Buckingham Fountain Plaza, Chicago, IL 60602
  • Hours: 11am-9pm, all three days
  • Food sales end at 9pm
  • Alcohol sales end at 8:45pm

Admission

Entrance into the festival is FREE admission.

Entrance gates are at Jackson Drive west of Columbus Drive, Ida B. Wells east of Michigan Ave, and Columbus Drive & Balbo Drive.

All gates have magnetic scanners and a bag check. If you have no bag (no bag of any size) there is a magnetic scan without bag check line.

This year, Taste has expanded number of festival entrances and streamlined the guest entrance process, making it easier than ever to make the most of Taste.

 

Getting There

Public Transportation
For travel information, visit www.transitchicago.com

 

Parking
If you are driving, park at Millennium Garages. Visit www.millenniumgarages.com for details & to pre-purchase parking discounts.

 

Biking
Bike parking is available on the perimeter of Grant and Millennium Parks. Visit the Chicago Bicycle Program for maps, safety, and other information.

 

Food and Beverage

All food and beverage vendors take credit cards. NO Taste ticket sales!

Pick up a map inside the gates from a DCASE staff person to see all the food and beverage vendor locations and more.

 

Taste Experiences

Check out the FREE experiences at the Taste Main Stage concerts, Goose Island Stage, SummerDance Stage and more.

Please note: There are no seats at any of the Taste of Chicago 2023 stages.

 

Hotel Reservations

Plan to stay overnight, visit Choose Chicago to book a hotel room.

 

Accessibility

Each Taste of Chicago booth has an accessible counter

American Sign Language interpretation will be available for Main Stage concerts, except on Saturday. Best seats to see the ASL are audience front right.

The Main Stage will have a reserved seating area for people with disabilities near the front of the stage.

The reserved seating area is first come / first serve - no reservations. DCASE will have security at the Main Stage to ensure the space is used for its intended purpose.

To request a reasonable accommodation, please contact DCASE at DCASEAccess@cityofchicago.org. Advance notice a minimum of 72 hours is required.

Each Taste of Chicago booth has an accessible counter. Food trucks may not have accessible height windows. Wheelchairs are not available to borrow at Taste of Chicago.

 

Transportation
Transportation drop off and pick up location: For Paratransit and vehicles transporting people with disabilities, the drop off and pick up location is at the southeast corner of Balbo and Columbus.

Parking locations: Accessible parking is available in Millennium Garages (5 S. Columbus Drive.) Please visit Millennium Park Garages for details & to pre-purchase parking discounts.

 

Restrooms
An accessible unit will be placed on each end of the porta-potty rows. There will a hand washing station with a foot and hand pump across from one of the accessible units.

 

Get Lost in the Tastes...Not at Taste

Get Lost in the Tastes...Not at TasteNeed help? Lost? Injured? Witness criminal activity?

Look up and call 9-1-1 and give the letter/number on the pole nearest your location. "Pole Markers" attached to the light poles around Grant Park will help first-responders locate you quickly.

 

 

Medical Attention

Medical attention is available at the First Aid Trailer located at the northwest corner of Ida B. Wells and Columbus.

 

FAQs

1. What items are prohibited from being brought onto festival grounds?

For the safety of guests ALL attendees will walk through certified metal detectors and bags will be searched at all entrances. Attendees may be subjected to additional screenings such as magnetometer wanding and/or physical pat down. Prohibited items will be confiscated and discarded.

 

Prohibited From Event Grounds

  • Firearms or weapons of any kind (including pocket knives, pepper spray, etc.)
  • Fireworks or explosives
  • Grills or open flames
  • Illegal or illicit substances of any kind including drugs or drug paraphernalia
  • No outside alcohol of any kind
  • No glass of any kind (sealed plastic water bottles only)
  • Pets (except for service animals)
  • Skateboards, scooters, bicycles, personal motorized vehicles (exception ADA mobility devices)
  • Tents, canopies, shade structures, beach/picnic umbrellas (staked or golf), flags, flag poles/sticks, totems, or lawn stakes
  • Unauthorized or unlicensed vendors, marketing, solicitation, or materials including posters, banners, handbills, flyers, stickers, samples, giveaways, etc.
  • Drones, hoverboards, motorized toys
  • Laser pointers, balloons, and noise makers
  • Professional grade walkie-talkies or radios
  • Coolers or bags larger than 26”L x 15’W x 15”H
  • Hammocks or items attached to trees
  • Any item deemed dangerous by Security

Allowed Items Include: sunscreen lotion (no aerosol cans), strollers and childcare supplies, binoculars, beach towel (1 per person, nothing larger), rain jacket or poncho, paper fan or mini personal fans/misters, prescription medication, plastic baby bottles and milk/formula, empty plastic water bottles (no metal or glass) and water pouches, folding chairs or lawn chairs

 

This event is under video surveillance by the City of Chicago.

Failure to comply with the above may result in entry being denied.

 

2. Can I bring a folding chair and blanket into the festival? Yes

3.. Can I bring a tent into the festival? Personal tents and canopies are NOT allowed at any lakefront event.

4. Can I bring my dog with me into the festival? No. For your dog's protection and for the public's safety, all dogs (except service animals) are restricted from the festival and you will be asked to leave the festival with your dog. (This policy is supported by the Anti-Cruelty Society.)

5. Is there an admission fee to get into the festival grounds? No.

 

Street Performers

For street performer information, download the Street Performer Instructions and the Street Performer Map.

 

Media

For inquiries including interview opportunities, onsite press access, photographer accreditation or other media requests, please contact Matthew Bryant at matthewb@carolfoxassociates.com.

Onsite photographer and media check-in will be located near Grant Park’s South Rose Garden and will be open from 5pm to 8pm, Friday through Sunday. All photographers must register at media check-in for access to the Taste Main Stage photo area.