Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs/music festivals

[quigboto]

I've never attended the Taste, nor have I had any interest in doing so. Overpaying for tickets in order to overpay for street food never sounded all that great. That said: They should have gone ahead with the plan to charge attendees instead of messing up the fests that I DID like to attend (like Celtic Fest) It's not like people weren't shelling over a small fortune for those stupid tickets you needed to buy the food at the taste (The admission package would have included tickets as well, so the actual cost for admission was, like $10.)
I have a feeling that when this incarnation of the fest falls flat on it's face, and enough people gripe about it, it will get changed back to it's original format with an admission fee.

[Drover]

It's interesting they keep saying "it's not a music festival" but now they want to roll most of the music festivals into it.

There was more to Celtic Fest than just a couple of stages with ceili bands. But now that's what it will be reduced to -- if that.

[grapico]

Originally Posted by quigboto

I've never attended the Taste, nor have I had any interest in doing so. Overpaying for tickets in order to overpay for street food never sounded all that great. That said: They should have gone ahead with the plan to charge attendees instead of messing up the fests that I DID like to attend (like Celtic Fest) It's not like people weren't shelling over a small fortune for those stupid tickets you needed to buy the food at the taste (The admission package would have included tickets as well, so the actual cost for admission was, like $10.)
I have a feeling that when this incarnation of the fest falls flat on it's face, and enough people gripe about it, it will get changed back to it's original format with an admission fee.

I went to both Celtic Fest and Viva Chicago last year, but did not attend Taste of Chicago...

The music/visiting guests/booths is what is not available generally in Chicago on a normal basis, hence why people would go. The food at the taste is just food from the neighborhoods, and a lot of it generally not even "good" ones. I mean Connie's Pizza, Robinson's Rib's, Gold Coast Hot Dogs, Dominick's, Home Run Inn, Harold's Chicken Shack, Reggio's, Reggie's, Billy Goat, Miller and Budweiser...

Yes there are others, but those ^ dominate the festival and have multiple stands. Now, some of the neighborhood Taste's...those are worth attending... but Taste of Chicago is just overpriced, overpacked, food quality is Meh. I'm not going down to grant park in a mass of people for that. If there is a headlining free concert? Sure I'll put up with it, and because I am hungry, will find something to eat, if I didn't decide to bring my own food/drinks and a blanket for the concert... Not the other way around...