Sept. 5 – 7, 2025
Free admission • Grant Park and citywide

The 45th annual Taste of Chicago is bringing some of the city’s most iconic bites to lakefront Grant Park. The annual food and music extravaganza will include the highly anticipated festival in September, along with neighborhood pop-up events throughout the summer.

The classic Grant Park event will include dozens of Chicago’s favorite food vendors, representing the astounding diversity of Chicago’s acclaimed culinary scene. Attendees can also enjoy live music performances, community dance lessons, family-friendly activities, interactive pop-ups, and so much more.

Taste of Chicago 2025 dates

Taste of Chicago in Grant Park will take place from Friday, Sept. 5 to Sunday, Sept. 7 2025. Check back for the full day-by-day schedule.

Taste of Chicago neighborhood pop-ups
Leading up to the main event in downtown Grant Park, foodies can also enjoy Taste of Chicago pop-up celebrations in neighborhood parks throughout the summer. This year’s events include:

  • Saturday, June 28: Marquette Park
  • Saturday, July 19: Pullman Park
  • Saturday, Aug. 9: Albany Park

Taste of Chicago restaurants

This year, 45+ food vendors will dish out not just tastes of Chicago classics — like hot dogs, pizza, and cheesecake — but also bites that represent the international influences tied to the city’s history as a melting pot of cultures. The line-up includes a mix of long-time participants and restaurants joining the festival for the first time.

Check out some of the new and returning Chicago restaurants coming to Taste of Chicago 2025:

  • Eli’s Cheesecake
  • Lexington Betty Smoke House
  • African Food Palace
  • Churro Factory
  • Connie’s Pizza
  • Franco’s Ristorante
  • Harold’s Chicken
  • JJ Thai Street Food
  • Porkchop
  • Prime Tacos
  • Moore Poppin Gourmet Popcorn
  • The Original Rainbow Cone
  • Beat Kitchen Cantina
  • Khmai Cambodian Fine Dining

The Taste of Chicago line-up also includes more than a dozen local food trucks, an expanded Snack Shack, plus a designated beer hall and cocktail lounge featuring a selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverage offerings.

Explore more: Mark your calendar for these cant-miss Chicago food festivals.

Taste of Chicago concerts

Alongside a mouth-watering selection of local restaurants, the Taste of Chicago also includes a star-studded lineup of national and international artists at free nightly concerts in Grant Park.

Dance the night away at the Main Stage, featuring a slate of award-winning artists. Or check out the Goose Island Stage for a showcase of local and up-and-coming artists.

Check out this year’s concert lineup at Taste of Chicago 2025:

  • Friday, Sept. 5: Lupe Fiasco, the Chicago-born and Grammy Award-winning rapper
  • Saturday, Sept. 6: JoJo, the pop-R&B singer with powerhouse vocals
  • Sunday, Sept. 7: Elvis Crespo, the international Latin superstar will bring his high-energy merengue

The Main Stage concerts begin at 5 p.m. every night.

More things to do at Taste of Chicago

Along with dozens of local food vendors, a few popular Taste of Chicago events typically include:

  • Chicago SummerDance: Celebrate summer and Chicago’s vibrant dance community with live music, dancing, and more in Grant Park. Each day will cover a variety of dance styles, including several Chicago-born genres. This year’s SummerDance schedule includes salsa, flamenco, footwork, bachata, Afrobeats, hip hop, line dancing, K-pop, house, and more.
  • Family-friendly activities: The festival’s kid-friendly area will feature games and activities for all ages, including interactive art and inflatables.
  • Eli’s Cheesecake Birthday Celebration: Eli’s Cheesecake hosts the annual Eli’s Cheesecake Birthday Celebration, carrying on the longstanding tradition of cutting a ceremonial 1,000-pound Eli’s Cheesecake. Attendees will receive a free piece of cake following the ceremony.

About Taste of Chicago

A family at Taste of Chicago food festival

Taste of Chicago has been a foodie staple for more than 40 years. The first Taste of Chicago was held on a single day on the Fourth of July in 1980, taking up three city blocks on North Michigan Avenue. Today, the event has grown into one of the largest free-admission food festivals in the world.

Each year, the Taste of Chicago brings dozens of the city’s best restaurants, chefs, and food trucks to downtown Grant Park. The line-up represents the full depth and breadth of the city’s legendary dining scene, from classic Chicago spots to international options to trending newcomers.

At the festival, attendees can stroll the rows of booths and choose from everything from single bites to full meals from each vendor. Most restaurants offer sample-size portions, allowing food-lovers to try a wide variety of different cuisines.

The event also includes free nightly concerts, known for attracting big names; plenty of beer, wine, and cocktail options; interactive activities; giveaways; kid-friendly things to do, and more.

Getting to Taste of Chicago

Street closures: The following streets will be closed during Taste of Chicago:

  • Columbus from Monroe to Balbo
  • Jackson from Michigan to Jean Baptiste Point du Sable Lake Shore Drive
  • Ida B. Wells from Michigan to Columbus

Public transportation: The Taste of Chicago is accessible via bus or train. Visit www.transitchicago.com to plan your trip.

Parking: Park right near the action with Millennium Garages. Keep in mind there will be street closures and increased traffic in the area.

Biking: Bike parking is available on the perimeter of Grant and Millennium Parks.

Grant Park, 337 E. Randolph St.