Cost: Admission is free but the food ain't. Tickets come in strips of 12 for $8. "Taste portions," smaller serving of the restaurant's regular menu items, generally cost one to three tickets each and will leave you some tickets and tummy room to try a handful of options. Credit cards are accepted at the ticket booths.

Organizer: City of Chicago

What to expect: Samples of Chicago's best and most authentic eats (check out the full list of vendors), plus a great live music lineup, in an uber-crowded Grant Park.

Additional info: Don't forget about the Race to Taste; it's a great way to burn some (not all) of those calories you put on while tastin'. Participants can stay afterward for live entertainment, plus food and drinks from a few food booths (opening early for runners). The top three overall male and female finishers will receive cash prizes and the top finishers in each age division will also receive medals.

Centerstage Reviewer: Ben Rubenstein