Taste of Chicago will return to its long-held July slot in Grant Park next summer, the city’s cultural commissioner told aldermen this week.

The free, city-run food and music festival had been bounced from the spot by NASCAR three years ago. But with the race not taking place in 2026 , the once-iconic public pig-out is returning to its marquee mid-summer perch, said Clinee Hedspeth, commissioner of the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events.

“I think overwhelmingly, the citizens want it back in July, and so we’re excited to do that in 2026,” Hedspeth told aldermen during mid-year budget hearings Thursday.

Hedspeth, a Mayor Brandon Johnson appointee, touted the change as a key reason her department expects to bring in 50% more revenue next year.

She said her department is

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