Get a Taste of Mount Greenwood This Weekend

On Sunday, Sept. 15, the Mt. Greenwood Chamber of Commerce will host the fifth annual Taste of Mount Greenwood, a festival designed to promote local businesses, crafters and restaurants and provide a day of fun for all ages.

Karate demonstrations, hay rides, a car show and visiting superheroes will all be part of the fun at the Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences, according to Darlene Myers of the Chamber. The event will take place from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

This is all in addition to the local restaurants and live entertainment. “The Chamber is trying to help businesses in the neighborhood,” Myers said.

The Taste began in 2008 as a revival of the annual Party in the Park. The Chamber sponsored that event for about twenty years, Myers said, to drum up excitement and “do a countdown” for the community’s centennial of being part of Chicago. That milestone was reached on Sept. 9, 2006.

Now, the Taste serves to bring in revenue for local businesses. “We were listening to all the merchants in the area, and restaurants’ business was slow,” Myers said. By starting the Taste, “the Chamber decided to help [the restaurants’] business."

Mt. Greenwood restaurants’ participation in the event has dwindled because of a shortage in staffing and prior commitments. “We asked all restaurants” to be involved, Myers said. “Some places’ staff is low because of kids going to college, one place has a wedding to cater…we understand.”

To compensate for that, the Chamber asked restaurants in surrounding communities like Beverly and Morgan Park. “We do have a lot of crafters and merchants from the neighborhood,” she said. “It’s all about Mt. Greenwood. The Chamber’s trying to help businesses in the neighborhood.”

The official schedule, according to Myers, reads:

11 a.m. -  Opening ceremony with Mary Kay Notter of St. Christina Church singing the national anthem and the Boy Scouts of St. Christina posting the colors

10 a.m.  to 6 p.m. - Lions Club of Illinois Hearing and Eye Van

11 a.m. to 5 p.m. - jumping jacks

Noon to 2:30 p.m. -  Big Blue Band

1 p.m. to 3 p.m. -  Jaws of Life

2 p.m. to 3 p.m. -  Cold Blooded Creatures show

11 a.m. to 5 p.m.-  Old car show, with trophies being awarded at 4:30

2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. -  Sheep Amongst Wolves band

5 p.m. - Split the Pot and raffle drawing

Also, there will be the restaurants' booths, farm stand, kids games, craft vendors, petting zoo, hay rides, remote control airplanes, DJ, karate demonstrations, superheroes (including Iron Man, Captain America, the Green Lantern and Princess Fiona from “Shrek”), marshmallow hockey, a fish toss with live fish as prizes and more. Kids will also have the opportunity to color thank-you cards for soldiers that will be sent in care packages overseas.