Feast Your Way Through August with These Chicago Food Events
Meredith Francis
July 29, 2024
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Food events in and around Chicago this August offer a diverse array of food and beverages, with events centered around garlic, sangria, Bloody Marys, and corn.
What are we missing? Send your food event suggestions to us at [email protected].
Festa Italiana
Friday, August 2 through Sunday, August 4 | Naper Settlement, Naperville
This Italian-themed festival in Naperville features pasta, pizza, wine, and a meatball-eating contest.
Chicago Brewing District’s Dancing in the Streets
Friday, August 2 through Sunday, August 4 | Hubbard Street between Paulina and Wood streets
This festival in West Town boasts “hot jams and cold brews” with plenty of breweries on tap.
Taco & Margarita Fest
Saturday, August 3 | The Forge, Lemont
Tacos and margaritas take center stage at this event in Lemont, which includes eight food trucks and margaritas aplenty.
The Great American Lobster Fest
Saturday, August 10 and Sunday, August 11 | Navy Pier
Navy Pier is host to this event that brings in live lobster from the East Coast.
Garlic Fest
Wednesday, August 14 | Everts Park, 111 North Ave., Highwood
Get your mints ready, because this garlic-centric festival in Highwood promises to be “a stinkin’ good time.”
ZooBrew
Saturday, August 17 | Brookfield Zoo
The Brookfield Zoo hosts this 21+ event with “bears and beers, lions and lagers, anteaters and ales” and some 80 different beers available to sample.
Oak Park Microbrew Review
Saturday, August 17 | 100 North Marion St., Downtown Oak Park
This Oak Park beer celebration features beers, ciders, and seltzers from 50 different breweries around Chicagoland and claims to be the largest zero-waste craft beer festival in the Midwest.
Taste of Pullman Park
Saturday, August 17 | Pullman Park, 11101 S. Cottage Grove Ave.
The popular Taste of Chicago festival takes the form of a neighborhood pop-up at this event in Pullman.
Sangria Festival
Saturday, August 17 and Sunday, August 18 | Humboldt Park
Humboldt Park plays host to this sangria-centric festival with food and dance.
Wine and Art Walk
Saturday, August 17 and Sunday, August 18 | The Morton Arboretum, Lisle
Enjoy a glass or two of wine and nature-themed art as you stroll through the trees at The Morton Arboretum.
Bloody Mary Fest
Sunday, August 18 | Everts Park, 111 North Ave., Highwood
More than a dozen vendors will put their own spin on the traditional Bloody Mary cocktail at this event in Highwood.
Corn Fest
Friday, August 23 through Sunday, August 25 | Lincoln Hwy. between 1st and 4th St., DeKalb
What began as a corn boil in the 1950s in DeKalb is now a large music, food, and carnival event complete with a beer garden.
West Chicago Food Festival
Saturday, August 24 | Downtown West Chicago
The city of West Chicago hosts this festival highlighting the food and beverages of the area.
Taste of Polonia
Friday, August 30, through Monday, September 2 | Copernicus Center, 5216 W. Lawrence Ave.
The annual Taste of Polonia festival is back on Labor Day weekend in Jefferson Park. Feast on pierogi, potato pancakes, and more amid this large celebration of Polish culture, music, and heritage.