The Taste of Chicago, a summertime fixture in Grant Park since the 1980s, will find itself in a new home this year, as NASCAR’s street race in the city will force the food festival to move, with several Chicago alderpersons saying that relocation will be to a park near the entrance to Navy Pier.
Ald. Brendan Reilly, who represents the Loop and Near North Side in the city’s 42nd Ward, told NBC 5 that the Taste of Chicago would move to Polk Brothers Park, located just to the west of the pier’s entrance.
Reilly said that the event will take place on July 1 and 2. Meanwhile, the Grant Park 220, NASCAR’s Cup Series street race in Chicago, will take place on Saturday evening.
The city of Chicago says it has not finalized plans for the 2023 Taste, while Navy Pier officials told NBC 5 that they have not reached an agreement with the city to host the event at the park.
The current course layout will have drivers wind their way through different sections of Grant Park, with parts of Michigan Avenue, Columbus Drive and South DuSable Lake Shore Drive closing for the event.
Pit road will be located on Columbus Drive, according to officials.
Amid reports that the Taste of Chicago was not on the city’s scheduled events page for 2023, a spokesperson for the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) issued a statement saying that it will occur, just in a different form.
“Taste of Chicago is a beloved summertime tradition that is indeed happening this year,” a DCASE spokesperson said. “We are finalizing details for 2023, and will be announcing dates and locations for DCASE’s signature summer events in the coming weeks.”
The news comes amid concerns about the amount of time that private events in the park, including the NASCAR race and Lollapalooza, will require to set up and tear down structures and stages for the events.
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According to Block Club Chicago, Grant Park will be booked for 84 days during the summer months, with NASCAR and Lollapalooza responsible for most of that booking. They cite records that show NASCAR will be allowed to begin setup for the race 26 days prior to the green flag dropping and they’ll have 13 days to clean everything up.
City officials say that not all areas of the park will be closed during the build-up and teardown phases of that project.
A Chicago City Council committee was scheduled to have a vote on events taking place in the park, but that vote has since been postponed, Reilly told NBC 5’s Kate Chappell.
