Author: Emily Capdevielle

At the Taste of Chicago, you need to bring your appetite to enjoy a wide range of Chicago-specific foodstuffs from Wow Bao's teriyaki chicken steamed dumplings to Original Rainbow Cone's seven-layered ice cream cones.

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MUSIC & ACTIVITIES

Also, enjoy different activities and music performances each day starting June 26-July 5. from 11a.m.-9p.m.

The festival closes early on July 3-4 at 9:30 p.m. and on July 5 at 6:00 p.m.

The Taste of Chicago has been a tradition since 1980 and it's still running strong with more than 3.5 million people crowding around to get a taste of the 65 restaurants serving their finest in Grant Park. Click here for a list of vendors.

Your gateway to great eating will be found at the Taste with classic American favorites like Chicago-style hotdogs to cheeseburgers to ethnic cuisine--including Thai, African and Mexican cooking.

Complete list of entertainment:

Petrillo Music Shell Schedule

Illinois Lottery Taste Stage

3rd of July Fireworks

Best Buy Stage

Budweiser Clydesdales

Dew Tour

Dominicks Cooking Tour

Fun Time Stage

World Sport Chicago/2016 Interactive Activities

This year, come see "Broadway in Chicago", a free evening of broadway music in the Park at the Petrilla Music Shell June 29 at 6 p.m.

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Admission is free but, unfortunately, the food is not. Food and beverages are sold by purchasing tickets that come in strips of 12 tickets for $8. Ticket booths are located in numerous places around the festival and can be recognized by the green-and white-striped tents. Mini portions of one item at each of the restaurants are priced at two to four tickets so you can gauge how many tickets to buy for your growling stomach. Larger portions are 9-10 tickets.

TRANSPORTATION

Getting anywhere is never an issue in the city as there are not only taxis and the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) to get you to and from the festival, but there are also free trolleys traveling between Grant Park, Metra stations, the Museum Campus and other downtown CTA stations.

FAMILY TIME 

The Taste of Chicago revolves around the fantastic food. However there are activities galore to make a day of eating also a day of family fun at Family Village and the Fun Time Stage. These stages host different activities and performances each day. From Lego Block parties to acrobatic and circus acts, there is always something to do or watch throughout the day while your stomach takes time to digest.

"Taste Sports" is also a recurring event at the festival for all sports enthusiasts. You can enjoy appearances by Chicago sports teams including the Chicago Bulls, Chicago Bears, Blackhawks, White Sox, Sky and Fire scheduled to appear on different days with interactive sports and activities. Click here for a list of scheduled activities at the sports pavillion.

Family Village

THE RACE

If you're feeling guilty about spending the whole day consuming cheesecake and BBQ ribs, The Bally Total Fitness "Race to Taste" on June 28. starting at 8a.m. is a way to shed those excess calories. You can register for the 5k run, 2-mile walk or Kids Dash online or at "Taste Sports". There are some perks to participating in this fitness event as well in addition to getting some exercise. Runners or walkers receive a one-month Bally Total Fitness membership, a Dri-Release shirt and a strip of food tickets for the Taste. There is also a chance to win cash prices for the top three finishers.

Race to the Taste

TAKE A BREAK

To cool off from the race, stroll over to the Buckingham Fountain Dock for a refreshing 30-minute Lake Michigan Cruise with Shoreline Sightseeing. Tours depart daily with hourly service from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. (until 6 p.m. on July 5). Tickets are available at the Shoreline Taste booth (near Congress and Columbus Dr.) or at the Buckingham Fountain dock. Fares for the special Taste Cruises are $14 adults, $13 seniors over 65 and $6 children under 12.

Taste of Chicago FAQ

For more information, visit the Taste of Chicago website.