June 23 - 25: Taste of Highland Park Weekend at The Lot
The City of Highland Park brings the ultimate entertainment and restaurant line up to The Lot (525 Central) at the Taste of Highland Park June 23 & 24, 2023 with headlining performances from Yachtley Crew and The Ides of March and 14 premier restaurant vendors to satisfy every palate! Guests will also enjoy the Bitter Jester Music Festival Grand Finale Concert on June 25, the perfect extra day of entertainment, food and drink to round out the weekend!
On-site restaurant vendors will bring a wide variety of food and drink including Cajun, poke bowls, Mediterranean, vegan/vegetarian, sweet treats, grilled items, pizza, Mexican and more. Participating restaurants include Bella Ru Catering, BWB Shakes, Cafe Dacha, Jerk N’ More Too, Judy’s, La Shuk Street Food, Lynfred Winery, Michael’s Grill & Salad Bar, Pixca, Poke Burrito, Ravinia Brewing Company, Sugarcoated, and Tamales. Libations will be available for those 21 and older!
Friday, June 23, 5-10 PM:
Internationally recognized DJ Madrid kicks off the weekend from 5-7 PM spinning an incredible set to lead up to the nation’s #1 yacht rock band, Yachtley Crew (7:30-10 PM).
Saturday, June 24, 12-10 PM:
A full day of great music and food will kick-off with the jam band ensemble of Marcus Rezak Band featuring Shred is Dead and Gumbo (12-1:30 PM), roots singer/songwriter Joseph Huber (2-3:30 PM), and Grammy-nominated bluegrass musicians Sister Sadie Band (4-5:30 PM). The complete Beatles tribute band American English will take the stage from 6-7:30 PM, Flannel Folk A Cappella from 7:30 – 8 PM, and then it’s Chicago’s own rock band The Ides of March powered by Grammy winner Jim Peterik gets the crowd dancing from 8:30-10 PM.
Sunday, June 25, 12 - 8 PM:
This year, the fun continues with an additional day of delicious food and premier entertainment during the Bitter Jester Music Festival Grand Finale Concert on Sunday, June 25 from 12-8 pm. Hailed as the Midwest's largest professional "battle-of-the-bands" style concert and competition series, this event will feature the final eight bands (out of 24!) and solo performers announced after a summer-long Festival. The Grand Finale Concert will feature a wide variety of food and drinks vendors all day long as well and a winner will be announced at the end of the evening.
More information will be available at enjoyhighlandpark.com/the-lot or on social media @enjoyhighlandpark on Facebook and Instagram.
ABOUT THE LOT
The Lot is the City of Highland Park’s alfresco dining and entertainment space located at 523 Central Ave. at the intersection of St. Johns and Central Avenues in the heart of downtown Highland Park. From specialty markets to unique dining, family friendly entertainment, weekend concerts and food fests, there’s something for everyone this season at The Lot with music and entertainment as a big draw to get them there.
Ample parking surrounds the Lot, including nearby surface lots, a two-level parking deck south of Central on First St. and St. Johns, and the Port Clinton parking garage. The City encourages guests to use non-motorized transportation where available. Bike racks are available at The Lot and in the immediate vicinity. Information about parking in the City of Highland Park is available at cityhpil.com/parking.
Because The Lot is not conducive to animals, attendees are requested to not bring pets to events at The Lot.
The Lot 2023 lineup also includes:
● Artisan Market: Sundays, July 2 – September 24, 10 AM – 3 PM
● World Music and Food Fest: Saturday, July 15, 12-10 PM
● Vintage Car Show: Saturday, September 9, 12-4 PM
● Oktoberfest: Saturday, September 30, 12-10 PM
● Fall Vintage Market: Sunday, October 8, 11 AM-4 PM
● Stews & Brews (and Blues!): October 13 & 14, 5-9 PM
Events at The Lot are presented by the City of Highland Park with the generous support of: Porsche Audi Exchange, First Bank of Highland Park, Scott Byron and Co., Highland Park Bank & Trust, Highland Park Community Foundation, PromptMed Urgent Care, Sunset Foods, Walled Lake Planning & Wealth Management, Wayfarer Theaters, Baird & Warner, Gearhead Outfitters, and Mariani Landscape.
For more information on The Lot please contact Carolyn Hersch, Business Development Manager, at chersch@cityhpil.com. To participate in events at The Lot, please contact the City’s event management team, Ripple Public Relations, info@ripplepublicrelations.com, or call 847.432.6000. Learn more about plans for The Lot at enjoyhighlandpark.com/thelot. For more information about the City of Highland Park, please contact Amanda Bennett, Communications Manager, at abennett@cityhpil.com.