Taste of Chicago should not be moved to Navy Pier to accommodate NASCAR

Regarding your article about moving the Taste of Chicago to Navy Pier: So the mayor’s office did not know the NASCAR event was going to happen at the same time as the Taste, which had been scheduled there since 1980, and just now came to realize it?

What were they thinking? One would think they would know what’s going on in the city before agreeing to anything. I think the mayor’s office was blinded by dollar signs and did not consider Chicago residents, as well as suburbanites and tourists, who enjoy the prime time of summer in the city and enjoy these Fourth of July activities and the beauty of Grant Park.

I’ve attended almost every Taste but am concerned about its fate this year and future years. Navy Pier cannot handle it. There is not enough room to do it justice. It is not easily accessible, parking is limited and expensive, it would be a nightmare of a traffic jam, plus there’s no space for the concerts, which are part of this popular food fest.

Moreover, not only is the Taste compromised, but what about the well-attended annual Fourth of July concert by the Grant Park Orchestra at Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park? And let’s not even mention the Chicago softball teams that will not have access to their ball diamonds at Hutchinson Field at the south end of Grant Park.

NASCAR should have been scheduled in September, not in July. You would have one group of tourists coming to enjoy July and the Taste, and another different group of people coming for NASCAR. A win-win for both. Mario Caruso, Lincoln Square