The "Taste" Festival: A Plan For Exploration
"A Taste Of Chicago" was the big festival I'd heard was beginning. I arrived right at lunch time, too! The papers said there'd be food from 65 or 70 countries. I craved some Indian food.
I found a space for the car on a street a few blocks from the lakeside parks, proud of myself for saving a few bucks by avoiding the commercial lots. Before long I'd oriented myself enough to know that Grant Park, the one that hosted "A Taste Of Chicago", was a couple miles away. But that just meant a bus trip along the Miracle Mile, exactly the sightseeing I wanted to do anyway!
I got off on State Street to buy a new disposable camera. Then I found the park, and as you see above, the festival banner. I marched straight up to the ticket booth — only to be told by Ron Ward (below, left), the nice man inside the booth, "The Festival doesn't start till tomorrow!"
That news set me free to explore! I had a salad at the Millenium Park cafe, near the big, modernistic amphitheater, and then walked and snapped pictures to my heart's content..
|
Above: Balloon-headed boys: the city is a photographer's paradise. Left: Ron Ward of "A Taste of Chicago"
|
Buskers
All buskers must be sanctioned by the city and wear badges. Top left, a "Chess Party" booth. Top right and next row, left, two saxaphonists. Watching them both was fascinating. One was all body language. The other's sinuousness came only out of his horn. Both played well, I thought. Then: a cop on a segway, checking the IDs of two young violinists before letting them set up Apparently, he was satisfied. Bottom picture: they're going strong with their music.. |
|
|
|
|
|
The Segway may not have attained quite
the popularity its inventor envisioned, but it
has its use among tourists, as well as cops!
|
Below: In front of the Art Institute
|
fountain in a courtyard at the Art Institute
|
downtown water-wall and fountain park
|
|
|
