Taste of Chicago is back in Grant Park this week for its 46th year, and for the first time, the festival has gone fully cashless — only credit cards are accepted at food vendors.
The festival opened on Wednesday and runs through Sunday, drawing crowds despite the heat. Vendors are serving up brisket sliders, Korean tacos, squid tentacles, Italian ice and ribs, while street performers and karaoke keep the energy going throughout the grounds.
Among the crowd were two sisters who hadn’t been to the Taste in decades, and their story captured the mood of the day. Camille McKee, who said she hadn’t attended in 20 years, moved out of the city and now finds herself gravitating toward Orland or Tinley Park instead. Still, she made a point of coming back this year…