Shorter Taste
We knew attendance was off, but didn't realize that it was almost a million people over two years:
- Taste of Chicago could get shortened by several days next summer as city officials again retool Chicago’s iconic summer party.
The city’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events will run the Taste in 2012, after the Chicago Park District oversaw a 10-day festival this summer that drew 2.35 million people – 300,000 fewer than in 2010 and the smallest overall crowd since 1986. - Richard Daley began changing it in his final years in office, following some high-profile acts of violence near Grant Park, including a fatal downtown shooting in 2008 after the annual fireworks show that drew huge July 3 crowds to the lakefront smorgasbord.
Starting in 2009, the grounds were fenced in and people entering Taste were subject to search. That year, 3.3 million came through the gates, down from 3.5 million in 2008, according to the Illinois Restaurant Association.
Attendance fell again in 2010, to 2.6 million, as the Grant Park fireworks extravaganza was ended in favor of three smaller displays spread along the lakefront.
Well, yeah, once it became "Thugs of Chicago" instead of the Taste. And the bullet through a tourist's hotel room. And a murder. And numerous shootings. And no fireworks. And mass market restaurants instead of the neighborhood joints that gave the city its reputation as a food mecca. It was only a matter of time.
Labels: city politics
posted by SCC at 12:01 AM
35 Comments:
It's the economy stupid.Take a look @ the taxes tacked on to a Hotel Room for one night. Whats the solution, stay in the suburbs & take our public transportation?
Another legacy of Runt Daleys dictatorship.
It started out small and it had heart, and soul, before it became a bloated mess. It became a victim of its own success, with everybody trying to squeeze more income out of it.
Ultimately, no one but the biggest restaurants (chains, mostly) could AFFORD to participate and we locals already know what mass-produced pizza tastes like. We don't need to pay ridiculous parking prices in unsafe garages, battle unsavory thugs and jump through hoops to trade our cash for little tickets, to sample it.
Tourists started rethinking their holiday week travel plans when the fireworks were canceled and locals found their last, maybe best, reason for attending had evaporated.
It might be time to call it quits, or take a year off and make it a scarce commodity, so people will value it and want to attend. Of course, when that DOES happen, maybe some serious security, some reasonable prices, some food that actually represents Chicago's amazing and unique food and restaurants... all those things should be addressed beforehand. For a change.
They should just get rid of the taste all together it's just a breeding ground for the shitheads
Still can't use the park after Lapaloser event. Put all of these events in the suburbs. More parking and open spaces. Let us enjoy our lakefront during the summer. Maybe the Gangsters will follow these events to the burbs and leave us alone.
I was at the 1st Taste when it was on Michigan Ave. That was Fun.
They're going to scale it down to 4 days.
Emanuel will not risk the embarassment of a nationally televised wilding and consequent damage to his career.
He doesn't give a fuck about the victims, the thugs, or the bystanders. Just his future ambitions.
How about shortening it to a 1 day with a hot dog and pretzel cart with a FM radio for entertainment.
Here is a novel idea, why don't we just stop the damn thing all together?
Then save even more money by closing the other "cultural events" that cost so much money, cause so many problems, and do not benefit the city at all in the end. Things like Bud Bilikin, Puerto Rican Fest, Gay Pride Parade, Lollapalooza you know, the events that damn near deplete the roll calls through out the 5 areas.
Keep Gospel, Blues, Jazz fest and anything art related — that will still allow those who cannot seem to find culture a place to go to think they have become cultured. Bottom line, if you need to go to a fest with the masses, it is not a cultural event - no matter what they try to sell/tell you.
The smaller restaraunts could not afford the unreasonable fee involved with participating in the taste, last I heard it was something over 10 grand just to get in the fence, not to mention all kinds of other fees to operate, and don't forget taxes. Nobody that participates makes any money, it is only for getting your name out there.
As a retired police officer that can carry concealed weapon by law are you telling me I would not be allowed to carry my weapon inside the taste.
Good idea genius move all the revenue generating events out of the city so there really broke, they definitely would not fuck us over then.
Who cares? I spend my $$$$ at Summerfest. It's nicer, cheaper, cleaner, and the Thug element is practically zero.
The 'Taste' grosses me out. 90 degree weather and big fat pigs slobbering barbeque sauce all over. Gross.
then they can make the PR fest longer
i knew some one who took a kid to taste. Watched the kid spit squid on tne ground and ask for burger king. Bk was the biggest seller at taste, year e nd, year out. They really fucked this event up.
Great idea!! How about next turning the PR Fiasco (I mean festival) into one weekend thing? Wreaks havoc on surrounding neighborhoods and sucks resources from 14 and other parts of the city!!
Trash the taste...
Time for a new event in the city.
Maybe more local area/neighborhood events for food and music instead of one centralized fest.
The corporate dollars would be the same if not higher since there would be multiple events. Each happening can be staggered a few weeks apart too.
The ghetto areas would not get a local fest which pulls people city wide ; duh! Still the nice areas of the city would host the events and with public transport, the flow and attendance would be solid and profitable.
I'd make it a combination beer/wine/high end spirits added into to quality food pitch. That might be a fucking bad idea with all the drunks...
Still, A Chi town high end liquor and wine fest and the best of the old Taste spread into a few different neighborhood locales would make a new direction.
Whatever though. The taste was never cheap, adding in specifically targeted high end spirits could be a draw for the city to rebrand it's self as less of a shit hole in the eyes of a nation. Or not.
Maybe even skip the food and get new fest like Tech Expos which are not confined to the convention halls. An 'in the street' real world run of tech and new consumer goods street fair. That would be some logistical challenges but would be very unique.
Turn some streets into import fairs of goods from all over the world. An exotic items fest for a week in some nicer areas etc.
Chicago could bid for alternative sporting events (not Gay Games) like free running contests and the like. X-Games even.
They could sell tickets to the Occupy Wall Street events going on...
waste of chicago
Does this make or lose the texpayers money? If it is not a money maker, forget it. Or do what some other
burbs do. Not a resident? Pay your $10.00 to get in. Try to go swimming at the lake in Wilmette. $8.50 for non residents; LINK cards not accepted. Why can't we do that?
Shit, I don't even think the park district charges non residents more for their programs..
Just close it down, we don't have the $$$$$.
Anonymous said...
How about shortening it to a 1 day with a hot dog and pretzel cart with a FM radio for entertainment.
10/09/2011 08:10:00 AM
NICE! How about Daley pushing and working the cart ......
How about moving it to the west-side and combine it with the current fest. Ya a lot of money could be saved putting festables together. Currently the west-side has the drunk & drug festible, just add the test with that.
As a retired police officer that can carry concealed weapon by law are you telling me I would not be allowed to carry my weapon inside the taste.
10/09/2011 11:24:00 AM
Why would you attend The Waste in the First Place?
Nice to think back to the original Chicago Fest put on by Mayor Byrne. Fenced off on Navy Pier. Had to pay $5 bucks or so to get in. The very top entertainment. Food and drink was a very reasonable price and the event was very safe. Byrne put on quite a show for a fair price. Then Harold and Fuckhead Daley destroyed it all. Shut this thing down and let the neighborhood festivals take it.
I took my daughter to the Taste when it first started. It was Americana, small restaurants, mom and apple pie.... The larger restaurants came in, the mom and pops couldn't pay the price to have their tents set up anymore..... Then the thugs came in and it was over. Working the Taste for 8 years in a row as a copper and Bud Billiken at the end they both were the same, other then the "babysitting tents".......
Thugs abounded everywhere at the Taste and fights were breaking out everywhere my last year doing it. That was 5 years ago. You knew and had a feeling it was going to get worse. Friends from KY would come up to Chicago for it every year. One being an Officer and I told him and his wife to spend his money elsewhere in Chicago and come on another weekend other then the Taste. They didnt believe me. They were there for the "wildings" and came back to KY shaking their heads.
It really makes us look bad as Chicagoans when we can't have a wonderful tradition (or once was a tradition) because of the savages coming in and doing what they do best.
I came home this summer, and I was "tempted" to go down to the taste mid afternoon at lunch hour to enjoy Binyons a great "turtle soup" they do serve. But they aren't there anymore. If i want to grab FAST CHICAGO FOOD from all around the city i can do that all day long, the beauty of the taste was diversity in food, and the culture of what Chicago IS......
To the naysayers, NO we should not stop the Taste, that means THEY WON!!!!! That is exactly what they want. To stop Mom and American Pie..... They want us to bow to the bullshit they live in everyday because they chose it. Time to take back NORMALCY, protect, punish and push on!!!!! Don't ever let them see you sweat, just beat them at their own awful game! WE ARE SMARTER and WE ARE AMERICANS!
"Waste of Shitcago", sounds much better, then "taste"
Provide discounted Amtrak tickets to Summerfest and call it a day. Please.
--No Cop Here
Its not the economy. Its not the police. It is not the schools. It is a lack of parenting supervision and happy homes that leads to the criminal element of African Americans that ruin anything that can be considered good for everyone.
WE ARE SMARTER and WE ARE AMERICANS!
10/10/2011 12:17:00 AM
You're an idiot... These last two little phrases by you just confirm it. Crawl back into your Blue Grass hole, glad you're not here anymore.
What a WASTE of CHICAGO !!
Only connected greedy Fucks made money off of these Taste events. Everything was way over priced and the entertainment was worse than some of these neighborhood gatherings. Just stop this thing and let the neighborhoods have it. The ethnic music shows were nice on weekends. They should let that stay. The rest can go the way of the fireworks. The greedy connected assholes sucked enough blood out of us over the years.
Just learned today that Operation Push is looking into a Fest called the FEAST of ALL Nations that will be held out in Dixmoor or Harvey, being mastermided by noneother then Rev. Jackson, Beavers and the Shaw Brothers, and Danny Davis. All are disgruntled with
Rahm and the treatment of folks at the Taste. I say go for it boys.
Anonymous said...
As a retired police officer that can carry concealed weapon by law are you telling me I would not be allowed to carry my weapon inside the taste.
10/09/2011 11:24:00 AM
If you are retired, why would you go to the taste or even do anything in this city? Get a life and enjoy the suburbs.
One thing that will remain a constant until the Taste of Chicago is no more are the BBQ turkey legs.
It wouldn't be the same without the obligatory shot on the news of somebody stuffing their face with one of those.
You let the restaurant association run it and tie up city officials that week.
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