Taste of Chicago 2025 lineup announced

Chicago’s own Lupe Fiasco will headline this year’s Taste of Chicago on Sept. 5 in Grant Park, the city’s cultural department announced Friday.

Other headliners include pop/R&B singer JoJo on Sept. 6 and Latin superstar Elvis Crespo will close out the weekend on Sept. 7. Performances begin at 5 p.m. each night.

The three-day festival, which is free to attend, will follow three neighborhood pop-up Taste events throughout the summer months. Those events will happen in Marquette Park on Saturday , Pullman Park on July 19 and Albany Park on Aug. 9, featuring local food vendors, music and free dance lessons.

In 2023, Chicago moved Taste of Chicago to the fall in part due to the NASCAR race weekend.

“We’re thrilled to showcase the incredible culinary and cultural diversity of Chicago through this year’s Taste,” cultural commissioner Clinée Hedspeth said in a statement. “Whether you’re dancing in Albany Park or grabbing a sweet treat in Grant Park, Taste of Chicago is where Chicagoans come together to experience the flavor of our city.”

This year’s downtown Taste event will feature 45 vendor booths, plus 17 food trucks. Returning favorites include Eli’s Cheesecake, Harold’s Chicken, JJ Thai Street Food and The Original Rainbow Cone.

New vendors this year include Beat Kitchen Cantina, ChefLife19, Chillafry, Crave Cookies, Dao Thai Restaurant, Hubbard Inn, Khmai, Lexington Betty Smoke House, Nitro Nostalgia Ice Cream and Board Game Cafe and Thimi’s Empanadas.

“Taste of Chicago is a celebration of the restaurants, chefs and cultures that shape our city’s vibrant food scene,” Sam Toia, president and CEO of the Illinois Restaurant Association, said in a statement. “It’s a beloved tradition that brings together neighbors and visitors alike to experience the flavors of all 77 neighborhoods — reminding us why Chicago continues to lead as the culinary capital of the world.”

Courtney Kueppers is an arts and culture reporter at WBEZ.