Taste of Des Plaines returns with food, live music, demos and more

Posted June 13, 2023 11:00 pm

Daily Herald staff report

Charcoal Delights chef Evencio Vallavares cooks hot dogs and hamburgers at the Taste of Des Plaines. Paul Valade/pvalade@dailyherald.com, 2022

Kick off your summer by grabbing a bite to eat and listening to live music at Taste of Des Plaines.

The summer street festival takes place 5 to 11 p.m. Friday and noon to 11 p.m. Saturday, June 16-17, at Library Plaza in downtown Des Plaines, near the Metra station. Admission is free.

There will be plenty to eat and drink, with local food vendors on-site and a beer tent serving cold brews. Be sure to bring cash if you're planning to eat and drink. Festival vendors only accept tickets, which are available for purchase - with cash only - at two ticket booth locations within the festival. Tickets are $1 each and will be sold in strips of $5 or $10.

The Taste of Des Plaines street festival offers a variety of food choices from local restaurants and vendors. Paul Valade/pvalade@dailyherald.com, 2022

Dining options will include Charcoal Delights, Des Plaines Theatre's Des Pizza, Mexico Restaurant, Hawaiian Food Truck by The Tiki Terrace, Illusion Café, E.J. Pierogi, Puerco Loco & Caribbean Style Piña Colada, HD Cuisine, Ms. Tittle's Cupcakes, Serna's Grill Food Truck and My Mama's Mini Donuts. Vegan and vegetarian options will be available.

See vendors' menus online at www.desplaines.org.

The band 7th heaven will perform at 9 p.m. Friday, June 16, at Taste of Des Plaines. Joe Lewnard/jlewnard@dailyherald.com

Two stages will offer live entertainment. The lineup includes:

Friday Main Stage

• 5-6:30 p.m. The Student Body

• 7-8:30 p.m. Renegade Wildflower

• 9-11 p.m. 7th heaven

Friday World Stage

• 5:30 p.m. School of Rock

• 7 p.m. JG's Reptile Road Show

Hi Infidelity will headline Saturday, June 17, at Taste of Des Plaines. Courtesy of Hi Infidelity

Saturday Main Stage

• 1-2:30 p.m. The Des Plaines Public Library is teaming up with the Taste of Des Plaines to host a Teen Summer Concert. Listen to Gabe Kuchan and Nate Wilson and Patches and Albo as they kick off entertainment for the day.

• 3- 4:30 p.m. Mel Senese

5-6:30 p.m. Fletcher Rockwell

• 7-8:30 p.m. Run Forrest Run

• 9-11 p.m. Hi Infidelity

Saturday World Stage

• Noon MBD Martial Arts

• 1 p.m. The Barefoot Hawaiian

• 2 p.m. Vest Dance Troupe

• 3 p.m. Viking Gymnastics and Dance

• 3:30 p.m. Move The Beat

• 4:30 p.m. Big Noise Theatre

• 5:15 p.m. Circus Boy

• 6 p.m. Dance lesson by Move The Beat

• 6:30 p.m. Latin Swing Factor Trio

For the kids, there will be inflatable games and activities, including a live chalk artist from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday and a rock climbing wall.

Fitzgerald Studio is sponsoring a Youth Photo Contest at Taste of Des Plaines. Students in grades one-12 can have their "sports and hobbies" artwork displayed at the event. Community voting will take place at the festival, and winners receive a gift certificate.

Thursday, June 15, is the deadline to submit photos to be included in the contest. For details and to enter, visit thefitzgeraldstudio.com/youthphotocontest.

Free parking is available in the Des Plaines Library parking garage, Civic Center Garage (behind City Hall) and the Metropolitan Square Parking Garage.

Additional accessible parking spaces will be available in the main level of the library parking garage and in the Metra commuter lot between Pearson and River Road.

Bike racks are on Library Plaza and at the Metra train station for those biking to the event.

For details, visit www.desplaines.org.

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