Taste of Chicago 2012 Shortened to Five Days

Image Credit: Steven Lee

If the City was looking to bring Taste of Chicago back to profitability, cutting the number of days in the festival in half and pushing it back to mid-July is one way to do it, and one way we never thought they'd consider, to be honest. But that looks like what's happening.

The Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events made the announcement this morning that Taste would be shortened to a five-day festival set to run July 11-15, 2012. The news also comes a couple of weeks after the City announced that management for the festival would be put out to bid.

Cultural Affairs and Special Events spokeswoman Cindy Gatziolis said cost was the main factor in the decision. “We’re looking at where we can present a fun event that everyone can enjoy on our Chicago lake front.”

A statement from the department also indicated that the focus for next year's taste would once again be on the food, not the entertainment. A special emphasis would be placed on highlighting Chicago's burgeoning restaurant and cooking scene, which gets richer and deeper seemingly by the day. As for entertainment at the festival, Gatziolis said Taste would feature “great local music and national performing acts."

Guess they are emphasizing the food.

Last year's Taste was the lowest attended version of the event in a quarter century. Participating restaurants also made much less from the festival than in previous years.

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By Chuck Sudo in News on December 28, 2011 1:00 PM 0 Comments

Comments [rss]

mike_thoms

That means 5 less days for the piece of shit gangbangers to shoot and kill people! I wonder if they'll just try to cram all of it into a smaller space of time?

Nicholas

If they shortened it to 0 days, I'd be OK with that.

BlueFairlane

I don't really get the antipathy so many Chicago people have for an event that doesn't affect their lives unless they go to it.

Nicholas

I work and frequent downtown most everyday. So, this annual parade of tourist obesity does affect my life. Plus, the fawning local news coverage where reporters act like a turkey leg is the finest thing they have ever tasted surely must bump some other stories. I mean, go look at Tribune Online photo -- it is like those slobs have not had a meal in months. Some of those other stories might actually be interesting.

BlueFairlane

I don't currently work downtown, though I have in the past. I've never noticed a significant increase in tourist traffic as a result of this enterprise, at least no more so than the pre-Cubs game wanderers, or the Lollapalooza people. Face it, you live in a tourist destination. You have to accept that some people who come to this place are not going to meet your rigid standards. Just be glad it's not your smelly hobos.

Also, I sincerely doubt this event signifantly affects what the Tribune is and isn't covering, bastion of hard news it may be.