Taste of Lincoln Ave

I can’t wait for next year!!!
I volunteered for this event and I didn’t see one unhappy person!
Chicago has many events, concerts and Festivals but this one should be on your bucket list if you have never gone.
I enjoyed the organizers as well as the people that came out for this fun filled event. It had lots of food, beer and entertainment.
We had a blast because after we volunteered we were also able to enjoy the festivities.
You know how I do!!!
Enjoy!!!

Lots of food selections to choose from: got the Greek booth and went for the plate. Good amount of food and service was great
Lots of police up and down the street so it is pretty safe for the family
Lots of snacks and options but not really on the heathy side
Music stages are on various corners of the street and pick a spot on the lawn, bring a blanket and claim space while you eat.
Drinks are average price and sangria is good

Pros: Definitely some good vendors. Super busy, super hot. I got some pizza and a funnel cake. I did not skimp on the toppings, don’t judge. I got the fish tacos from the New England Fish company or some name along those lines, I paid $ 7 for 2 tacos with hardly any fish and all toppings. Disappointing, I will avoid that stand next year.
I brought my labradoodle and met a lot of other dog owners, which is always a great ice breaker, especially with good looking men.
The Dave Matthews cover band was actually good, so we hung out at that stage and had some wine (which was free thanks to Cupcake Winery), some hard cider and then some limarita from Budweiser (I have no clue how to spell that drink and it wasn’t very good so it’s easy to forget the name anyways!).
Cons: $ 10 donation is a bit ridiculous, but it’s for charity so I guess it isn’t so bad. The $ 6 for a beer was a bit pricy for a street festival, considering my beer came out of a can I could’ve bought for $ 3. Again, goes to charity.
All and all it was a good time, just a bit pricy for what you get.

Yup. It’s just as bad as everyone thinks it is. $ 8 for those pushy donations people. A few stalls of home goods, LOTS OF PHOTOGRAPHY, lots of random food stands, etc.
The music was the best part. Chicago School of Rock was there; those kids are talented and simply adorable

Waste of time and money
Go to roscoe. village burger fest which I attended and well worth the $ 10 or maybe try taste of Chicago instead

This event is a good time, was a little disappointed that they raised the «suggested entry» prices to $ 8… that’s a little steep for what you get. My friends and I live pretty close to the area so this is the 2^nd time I’ve attended this event. They’ve got a couple good size stages, and I’m always impressed with the music. I love people that can do good covers, and that’s what this event consistently delivers. Shout to 16 candles who is THE BEST 80s cover band out there.
The food was ok, I stared off with chicken & fried rise from some Asian food stand, and it was extremely bland. No spice whatsoever, had to add a ton of soy sauce to it. I also tried the chicken kebob’s and those were awesome. The highlight of this event though was having a pineapple piña colada. This was the best deal, I bought a half a pineapple for $ 8 and refills were only $ 4. I got a few refills and it was definitely worth it.
My friends had a good time, and this one is fun because the bars on lincoln have set up special outdoor patios that you can go out and sit down & eat there as well. It’s fun when the bars in the area participate in the event itself. All in all, this is a fun time. Just wish the food stands were a little better and more diverse.

I would give the event zero stars if it were an option. We went through the Fullerton entrance at 9pm last night. It took 20 min to walk 30 feet. There was no organization, no crowd control and the only security was at the gate scamming on women. For some ungodly reason festival organizers thought it was a great idea to funnel a couple thousand people through a five foot wide entrance way next to the Gin Blossoms stage entering AND exiting. Smart move guys. Once we got through the mêlée of sweaty people shoving and pushing their way around we ducked into a bar and never listened to the concert. I promise never to come back. Good luck to anyone that goes today. Bring deodorant.-Richard L.

30 ALREADY!
Chicago is overcrowded with all of these street fests. I remember when i was a kid we only had a few. This is one of the older street fests and they just need to be given a little respect. Most people give these type of events a low ratings but you’re at a street fair. Don’t expect the Ritz!!! You’re standing in the street eating a deep fried Oreo and drinking Bud Light out of a plastic cup. Your expectations should already be set low.
The taste of Lincoln lasted for two days and stretched on Lincoln ave from Fullerton to Sheffield. There was plenty of fun to be had by all. I do wish there were more food vendors considering that this was a taste of Lincoln. Personally deep fried snickers & Twinkees are not a good representation of what there is to eat on Lincoln. I would love to see more local businesses. I also noticed many of the businesses on the street were open and selling there own food items.
There were a bunch of stages for bands and one stage dedicated just for DJs. The DJ stage located at Sheffield was the place to be and the crowds were huge to see the performers. The other bands were good. There were a few headliners like one of the Kinks and Loverboy. Not exactly Lallapalooza but it would do for the crowd. At one times those two bands probably sold out stadiums and now there at a street fest. The fall from Rock Stardom is fast and hard.
If you were in the mood for German food then Prost was the place with there sausages, pretzels & beer. Etno Village Grill was also serving up some great grass fed burgers plus they had a craft brew tent right behind there building in there expansion area. I also loved that HQ Beercade brought down some of there free video games and set them up in the street. How cool was that? I can say I played video games in the middle of Lincoln Ave and my name isn’t Frogger.
There were also vendors selling stuff. I really got a kick out of the funny wine and beer slogan signs. Those are always so witty but I want to buy them all. There was also a guy selling bubbles but he had a cool bubble machine that put smoke in the middle of the bubble. That wasn’t for sale but I wanted to buy it.
There was a champagne company giving out free samples… yes…plus I got some free swag too. Moolagram was there. It’s a new app & you got a free Tshirt if you downloaded it. I already had the app & they hooked me up with a shirt. I still don’t really get the app. The girl gave me a demo but didn’t teach me anything new.
The coolest thing was the double decker Budwieser bar. How amazing was that thing, if u saw it! People on the top were able to watch the band unobstructed and also look down Lincoln. It was a seat with a rockin view.
There was also a kids area too but I never went there. I didn’t have the little one with me so there was no need to check out this area but I thought the concept was a good idea.
There are many street fests to choose from in Chicago. Many people write bad reviews about those fests but they are what they are. The food isn’t perfect and they are over crowded but everyone keeps attending. My only advice is to go in with an open mind and go with good friends and it will turn out to be a fun event. Trust me in January you will be begging for a street fest.

BLECH. what is up with this fest. there’s nothing but tan meat heads and hoes in 6″ heels. it’s great for people-​watching, obvi. you know, like some guy with his shirt off in 70 degree weather.
$ 10 donation fee!!! don’t even get me started. i shamelessly walked right past these mofos. they give you a sticker if you donate. psh.
furthermore, the vendors weren’t even that good. how many sunglasses tents you need, bro?
skip this one.

Never seen so many bros and biddies, chads and trixies. UGGHHGHGHGHG. I hardly ever pay the «suggested donation» at street festivals. Sometimes I’ll throw a few bucks in if I’m feeling generous. Entering this festival, I gave them a dollar and no one gave me a hard time. This is why I’m giving them two stars instead of one.
The four music stages were all awful. All the food was pedestrian. They were selling boat loads of crap. Worst street fest all summer!

Good deals on food and beverages! Yum.

I have been out of town most of the summer, so I was pretty pumped when a friend invited me to go to Taste of Lincoln. The entry fee of $ 10 is the steepest I’ve ever seen – every other neighborhood fest I’ve attended has cost half of that. I know it must be for legal purposes, but even when entrance fee signs say suggested donation, the people collecting money at the gate harass anyone who tries to give them less. It’s annoying, and last night was the worst that I’ve seen.
I was disappointed in the amount of food vendors, given the fact that it’s called Taste of Lincoln. There wasn’t that much variety in the food, and I’m not even sure that the vendors where all from Lincoln Ave. We ended up getting periogies and potato pancakes from a The Dumpling House. They were actually pretty tasty. We paid $ 5 for way too many Bud Lights, and after hearing listening to some pretty awful music headed home. This was definitely not the best street fest I’ve ever been to.

Crowded and overpriced. I am not a big festival person to begin with, but I was super uncomfortable at the Taste of Lincoln. There were drunk frat bros wandering the streets and it’s just not my scene. The food was good, but it was way overpriced. I was working a booth for a short time and was haggled upon entering to work that I «should pay» the mandatory donation. Excuse me sir, I believe we paid a lot of money for the booth and I don’t feel like paying you to work. Overall I am not sure that I would ever come back, but it was worth experiencing once.

Either I’m old and boring or this fest has gone down hill! Over crowded! I felt like I couldn’t breathe. This fest still gets great bands playing. People could just enjoy them a lot more if they had a better set-​up.

The event seemed ok, but its website made absolutely no mention of what the admission cost would be. I even messaged them directly on Facebook and got no response. Thanks to Unilocal,I discovered they ask for a $ 10 donation. That’s pretty steep, but I’m more disturbed by the fact they tried to hide this information from the public, presumably so people would just show up and then feel obligated to pay. The event organizers need to learn a little something about transparency and honesty.

The Taste of Lincoln Avenue fest crowds were supposed to be overwhelming but they weren’t that bad. There was a large diverse and good-​looking crowd in attendance. Good-​looking in terms of females in summer outfits and the occasional dressed up dog. (Why do people do that?)
There must’ve been something going on regarding dogs because I saw more dogs, and big ones, at this festival that any other I have been to. I mean, one dog looked like a freaking horse and had to weigh close to 200 pounds but very lean and fit. (God help his owner if he’s not housebroken)
Is that Amy Winehouse?
The food stands were the same old, same old one finds at these things with a couple of exceptions. We chose to take advantage of the food and drink from restaurants located along Lincoln Avenue.
I’m just not going to pay five bucks for a plastic cup of Budweiser.
Some of the artists selling their works were less than enthusiastic. I mean, try to look happy and smile. There were some with actual artwork but most seem to be selling crafts, as well as clothing and accessories.
Why is it that the only clothing sold at these things are tie-​dyed T-​shirts or 60s radical hippie clothing?
Yes, I think that’s Amy Winehouse.
After the long walk to the end of the street festival by the Salt-​And-​Pepper diner, a band played catchy and unusual music, at least from the normal cover bands that usually play street festivals.
I was pretty surprised to see her and her band. Didn’t she win a bunch of music awards for best song and artist only a few years ago? But there she was trying to play over the passing L-​train as it roared past.
We stayed a while and listened. It wasn’t a bad time at all.

This is a crazy large street fest. It was fun, and there were lots of food and drink options. Maybe I’m just getting old and cranky, but I don’t find pushing my way through crowds fun anymore. But this is a great place to people watch! (Especially if you found a seat at one of the sidewalk patios.)

Taste of Lincoln Avenue («TOLA») is truly the grandaddy of all Chicago street fests, Taste of Chicago notwithstanding. It’s easily the biggest, longest and most crowded of all street fests. It also marks the halfway point of the fest season, which actually climaxes here, with the subsequent series of fests, which are mostly smaller affairs, representing a sort of long dénouement which ends around the second fest on Wells Street or the second fest on Roscoe in mid-​September.
TOLA is definitely not my favorite street fest because the crowds are just too dense to deal with in parts. I can’t be bothered to push my way through a narrow bottleneck of Lincoln that results from the tents of the junk dealers on either side of the street. So we usually end up standing right under the El on the Wrightwood side, as we did this year.
Bands wise, TOLA does have the standard street fest acts that play at every other street fest, with a few exceptions. They had a Journey tribute act on the Wrightwood side this year that was tolerable, if you could block out the fools woo-​hooing as they threw their arms up in the air and bounced around to that epic favorite of the masses…“Don’t Stop Believin’.” Cripes, you just cannot escape that awful song since that infamous event that occurred on the south side in 2005. Sheesh. Think that’s bad? The pseudo concert by Sugar Ray in 2009 was a joke. I’ve never been to a concert where half the show was someone spinning Van Halen records and, yes, «Don’t Stop Believin’» again. I am not even kidding.
Otherwise, TOLA is your typical crowded and sweaty street fest. You’re going to run into the usual people you see at all the other fests. There could be 15,000 people at the fest, yet you will invariably see the same folks. How is that possible? Big city, small world.
To sum up, TOLA isn’t my favorite fest of the lot, but it’s alright. Three stars.

24 oz cans of beer at CVS: $ 1.92
Ignoring the $ 10 «suggested donation» and sticking it to the man: priceless.
So yeah, Taste of Lincoln. Despite the fact that I live 3 blocks away, I’ve never been. Probably because I can hear the bands from my living room…
But THIS YEAR… TOL upped the ante and booked one of my favorite musicians, Tyrone Wells, to play. So of course I had to go. (Yes, my name is Jo, and yes, I am addicted to his music… but when it’s 3 blocks away I can’t say no!)
I arrived a little after 5, and laughed at the signs — their «suggested donation» actually goes UP after 4pm. Normally I am not one of «those» people to be all, «eff this donation,» but I’m sorry — this year I was. I wasn’t paying $ 10 to stand on the street, just wasn’t having it. $ 5, maybe. $ 10, hell no. So I blew right past the people collecting money with no problems. Score.
I quickly found my friends and was informed CVS was selling beer for $ 2. I was all over that. Luckily I carry a big purse, as you did have to sneak it past the TOL security, but once you were past him you could drink it openly. And drink it openly we did.
The food vendors seemed to be the same as all the other fests. Sure they had businesses from Lincoln Ave., but they also had all of the other standard booths you see at all the street fests. Same goes for vendors. I did not sample any of the food, but I’m sure it was tasty.
The crowd… oh man. It’s like all of the trixies and chads decided to come here and bro out. It was pretty sickening, but I learned if I kept close to the stage the crowd wasn’t so bad. Also — parents and dog owners? I appreciate you want to bring your double wide strollers and dogs to the festivals, but perhaps that is better suited for daytime hours. The later it gets the more packed and rambunctious it gets, and I can’t even believe people would subject their babies to all of the drunken fucktards that go to these festivals.
The bars on this strip weren’t as bad as I thought they would be either. A lot of them had the music turned up to get the party going, and my friends and I stopped into Clarke’s for a bit, and it was surprisingly not very crowded. I enjoyed my brief time there before checking out some other bands.
One thing this fest had that I geeked out over was the old school carnival games, complete with stuffed animal prizes. I really wanted to play that water pistol game so I could show others how it was done, but alas, it was too crowded for my liking.
Overall, this fest is just okay. If they book the right acts I’d come again, but my tolerance level for drunk chads and trixies is pretty low, so the acts would have to be *really* good. Tonight the stars aligned and they were, so I was pretty damn happy.
But seriously, TOL — lose the $ 10 fee. That is just bogus.

3 stages — awesome
Food stand variety — awesome
Plenty of port-​a-​potties spread throughout the fest — double awesome (is there such a phrase?)
L running over the fest every few minutes — annoying
$ 10 requested donation — a little pricey
Making fun of obnoxious people — priceless
I rarely visit this part of Lincoln Ave, unless I’m zipping by in my car so it was nice to see some shops I’ll go back and take a peek in. Of all the festivals I’ve been to this summer, this one was unique in that a lot of bars had little «private» areas roped off on the street for their customers with tables and all — interesting idea. There was also no shortage of live entertainment at the fest, in fact there was almost too much. In addition to the 3 stages there were a few bars with entertainment and mini stages with stuff too.
I am in total agreement about sandals not being the best shoe choice, but for a another reason. My flip flops kept sticking to the beer soaked ground any time I let my foot rest in one place for more than a minute.
My friend and I went to go see 7^th Heaven and Mike & Joe and had a blast. The down side of a street fest in Lincoln Park is dealing with obnoxious youngin’s. There was one guy near us who was so unnecessary; he waved his arms to the music like he was directing a 747 (someone must have told him that was cool…). And, seriously I don’t need to know that you’re wearing black, Ralph Lauren boxer briefs and no I don’t want to high-​five your friend 5 times either! I won’t even get started on his girlfriend, but all I’ll say is you don’t wear a skimpy beach cover-​up with nothing else (not even a bra) when you have DD’s! Then there was the classy guy walking around in the Mo Money Mo Chicks t-​shirt and sadly I think he thought he’d get some ladies that way. Lastly, the scantily clad chicks in-​between acts dirty dancing on the stage — completely unnecessary.
Bottom line, fun times.