Taste of Wheaton offers 'hometown feel,' fun for all ages
One of the best parts of Taste of Wheaton, Kerry O'Brien says, is the fact that the four-day fest has "a very hometown feel to it."
"We're not trying to be too big," says O'Brien, who serves as executive director of the Wheaton Chamber of Commerce, which hosts the free event along with the Wheaton Park District. "It really is our businesses and our restaurants and our not-for-profit groups volunteering in the beer tents. It's just a lot of fun."
Several square blocks of the downtown area will be filled with food vendors, carnival rides, live entertainment and family-friendly activities starting Thursday. The fest begins at 4 p.m. that day with the Slice of Wheaton pizza tasting on Wheaton Avenue, featuring $2 slices of pizza from several local pizzerias, including Gino's East and Evviva.
Wristbands for unlimited carnival rides, which will be set up along Liberty Drive, will be available for $25 on-site. The wristbands are valid for one day, between 4 and 10 p.m. on Thursday, noon and 5 p.m. on Saturday or 1 and 5 p.m. on Sunday.
Headlining bands Planet Groove, The Boy Band Night and Hi-Infidelity will begin playing at 8 p.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, respectively, in the Memorial Park band shell. Sunday's headliner, The Neverly Brothers, will perform from 4 to 6 p.m. Eight other musical acts will provide live music during the festival.
Craft and domestic beers, wine and soft drinks will be available every day in the Memorial Park beer garden, alongside food from about 20 local vendors, such as Cozymel's, Gia Mia Pizza Bar, Steamboat BBQ, Choun's Restaurant, Nothing Bundt Cakes and Graham's Chocolates. Artists will have their work on display during an arts and crafts fair that runs Friday through Sunday on Karlskoga Avenue.
Nicole Kapala, the park district's marketing and special event coordinator, said Saturday is the biggest day of the festival. Activities start early, with a 7:30 a.m. kick off to the 5K and 10K Cosley Zoo Run for the Animals.
"We got a lot going on Saturday, especially with the race," she said. "It brings a lot of people from all over."
This is the first year the Chicago Area Runners Association has named the event a Runners' Choice Circuit Race, along with other, larger events like the Bank of America Chicago Marathon. Kapala said about 1,500 people are expected to take part in the race, which is marking its 35th year as one of the zoo's biggest fundraisers. Children are also invited to participate in the half-mile Zippity Zoo Run at 8:45 a.m. the same day.
Residents who don't want to drive to the festival on Saturday can take advantage of the Wheaton Bicycle Advisory Committee's free valet bike parking between 6:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. on the corner of Karlskoga and Wheaton avenues.
Families are welcome to take part in a variety of free activities on closed down Hale Street that day as well, including face painting, temporary tattoos from an airbrush artist, a country line dancing demonstration, a teddy bear checkup sponsored by the DuPage Medical Group and a mini touch a truck event with vehicles from the DuPage County Sheriff's Office and the park district. On Friday night Hale Street will be lined with collector cars from 6 to 9 p.m. for the Downtown Wheaton Association's Vintage Rides event.
O'Brien said Sunday is "kind of a laid back, wind down day," but it has many of the same elements that are available at the fest on Saturday.
"We've been building on Sunday every year to make it more of what Saturday is," she said.
For information or a complete schedule, visit wheatonparkdistrict.com/events/taste.
If you go
What: Taste of Wheaton
When: 4 to 10 p.m. Thursday; 4 to 11 p.m. Friday; 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday; and noon to 8 p.m. Sunday
Where: Downtown Wheaton and Memorial Park, 208 W. Union Ave.
Cost: Free admission
Info: wheatonparkdistrict.com or wheatonchamber.com