Chicago Festivals

Taste of Chicago was long held in July. Here's why it won't be this year

The festival is now being held in September, largely due to two major events happening in Chicago for July and August -- and it's not the only festival to see changes

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The annual Taste of Chicago food festival was a longheld July tradition in the city, until recently.

The festival is now being held in September, largely due to two major events happening in Chicago for July and August -- and it's not the only festival to see changes.

The events forcing a shift include the NASCAR Chicago Street Race and the Democratic National Convention.

But don't worry - longtime summer events like the Taste of Chicago and the Chicago Air and Water Show, aren't going anywhere.

The Taste, the long-standing summer food festival, typically takes place in Grant Park around the Fourth of July holiday. But with the NASCAR Chicago Street Race planned the weekend of July 6 and 7, the Taste of Chicago will happen a couple months later.

This year, the food festival is scheduled for Sept. 6-8.

This will mark the second straight year the festival has been held in September, with the shift first being made in 2023 due to the inaugural NASCAR Chicago Street Race.

Also moving dates will be the Chicago Air and Water Show, a two-day spectacle of incredible displays in the skies and waters along Lake Michigan.

With Chicago hosting the Democratic National Convention for the first time since 1996, the Air and Water Show will take place one week earlier than normal, according to city officials.

Typically the show takes place on the third weekend of August, but this year the Air and Water Show will occur on Aug. 10 and 11, according to the city. According to Chicago officials, more than two million people are expected to attend the Air and Water Show, with North Avenue Beach as its focal point.

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