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. If you want to skip the ticket lines and score a deal, head to your local Dominick's with your Fresh Values card in tow and snag ticket strips for a discounted $6 (offer ends June 26).

Organizer: City of Chicago

What to expect: Samples of Chicago's best and most authentic eats along with thousands of others, plus a great live music lineup.

Why to go: Stevie Wonder. The R&B legend headlines on Saturday, June 28. Other musical acts include Chaka Khan (June 27), Plain White T's (June 29), Joss Stone (June 30), Broadway in Chicago (July 1) and American Idol winner Fantasia (July 2).

Additional info: Don't forget about the Race to Taste (8 a.m., June 29); it's a great way to burn some (not all) of those calories you put on while tastin'. It's $30 to register for the 5K Run and the 2 Mile Walk, and $5 for the Kid's Dash (you can do it all here). This year, there's a new course that runs through Grant Park, and 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