CHICAGO – Today, the Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection (BACP) announced the first Chicago Food Truck Festival of 2023 will kick-off on Friday, May 19. The popular weekly event features food trucks from around the city at Daley Plaza, 50 W. Washington Street, every Friday beginning May 19 through October 6, from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm. The fest celebrates the city’s culinary diversity with a line-up of rotating food trucks. The variety of food offerings will treat tastebuds and make deciding where to eat lunch a simple decision.

“The seasonal Chicago Food Truck Fest has become a Friday staple in Chicago’s downtown neighborhood,” said BACP Commissioner Kenneth J. Meyer. “The purpose of the fest is to support small businesses, our food truck industry, while creating a lively and welcoming event for residents, workers, and visitors in the Loop.”

The fest is the way to escape the ordinary lunch by enjoying a variety of cuisines with the backdrop of a Chicago landmark, the Chicago Picasso sculpture. From BBQ to tacos, the food trucks roll onto Daley Plaza offering local food favorites. The fest, celebrating 8 years in 2023, facilitates food tourism as a commercial corridor activation attracting lunchtime crowds.

Below are the Friday dates for the 2023 Chicago Food Truck Fest:

• May 19, 26

• June 2, 9, 16, 23, 30

• July 7, 14, 21, 28

• August 4, 11, 18, 25

• September 1, 8, 15, 22, 29

• October 6

The Chicago Food Truck Fest line-up will be announced each week on BACP social media platforms using the hashtag #ChiFoodTruckFest. Follow ChicagoBACP on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

BACP sponsors and organizes the Chicago Food Truck Festival. Participating trucks must be properly licensed by the City of Chicago as a mobile food vehicle or mobile merchant. Mobile food truck and mobile merchant operators that are interested in participating in this year’s fest must submit a completed application. Application and additional information can be found by visiting Chicago.gov/FoodTruckFest.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     ### 
This festival is now known as the Chi Food Truck Fest.