I have never been to the Taste of Chicago. Why not ? Well, I don’t love crowds, eating when it is a zillion degrees and Chicago foods are not always the healthiest. Great news! I just learned about the Humana Healthier Choices Passport Guide.
For the seventh year, Humana Healthier Choices is providing a listing of healthy appetizers, entrees and desserts available at the Taste! This year boasts the largest listing yet – 52 foods from 29 Chicago restaurants that meet calorie, sodium and saturated fat nutritional criteria, reviewed by a panel of Chicago-area diet and nutrition experts. These healthier choices represent more than 20 percent of the total Taste offerings. Cool!
If you go to the Taste, you can get your FREE Humana Healthier Choices Passport Guide at the Humana tent. It is on Columbus Drive (between Jackson Boulevard and Buckingham Fountain) in Grant Park. Then, you can collect stamps by participating in wellness activities or sampling Humana Healthier Choice foods for a chance to win prizes, such as restaurant gift cards.
New this year, Taste-goers can download the free Charity Miles app and give back to your favorite charity while wandering the Taste. Your Charity Miles charity gets $.25 for each mile biked, walked or run. Humana’s contribution will be open to anyone who logs into the app in the Chicago metropolitan area starting on July 9 until the close of the 2014 Taste of Chicago on July 13. (So log in to Charity Miles this weekend no matter what!)
You can follow Humana on Twitter or Facebook.
Here is the 411 on the Taste:
When and Where: July 9 – 13 in Grant Park from 11 – 9 weekdays and 10 – 9 weekend.
What: Food, music and more!
Cost: FREE admission to the Taste. Food and beverage tickets are sold in strips of 12 tickets for $8.50. All “Taste Of” portions priced at $2.50 or less. Some concerts have additional fees, but they are reasonable.
More good news! I have been offered 4 strips of 12 tickets to be distributed to two winners ($17.00 value for each winner) – that’s a lot of $2.50 tastes!
How can you win? The winners are: Agnes and Emily. Comment on this post and tell me you are interested and what foods you really want to try. You must be available to pick up tickets 7/10 or 7/11 from the Humana tent – ideally 11 AM – 3PM . You can use the tickets at any time during the festival. If you can’t get there 7/10 – 7/11, I can try to arrange for alternative pick up if you let me know what day and time you will be there. I will select 2 winners tonight (7/9) at 11:00 PM CST using random.org in order of comment number. Please leave your email address when you submit the comment so that I can reach you and notify Humana.
Please Note: Humana Healthier Choices information and the Taste tickets have been provided by Humana. I was not compensated for this post.
This weekend is also the 11th Ride for AIDS Chicago. Jen and I participated in 2011 and we had a blast (despite it being SUPER hilly). Many of our friends are riding again. Ride for AIDS Chicago is a two-day, 200-mile bicycling event produced by TPAN and designed to raise needed monies for TPAN and community partners.
They still need volunteers to help out on the Friday before event weekend, on Saturday and Sunday. If you have time and are interested, please check out the Volunteer Spot link for descriptions and times. (Not available? you can learn more and donate HERE.)
You can head up to the 2014 Ride for AIDS Chicago Closing Ceremonies at Ingraham Park behind the Evanston Civic Center at 2100 Ridge Avenue in Evanston. Live entertainment by Sway Chicago begins at 4:00pm, the Rider and Crew processional will begin at 4:30pm. The Master of Ceremonies will be Sean Lewis, award-winning journalist from WGN-TV. This event is picnic and family friendly. They’ll have giveaways from vendors such as Pretzel Crisps, Vita Coco, Illinois Lottery, Crafthouse, and Sam Adams.
I can tell you from experience, this is a great event. Check it out!
Last thing… in the “Wow – that’s a thing category,” there is a new event premiering at the Hawthorne Race Course in Cicero on July 12th.
The Great Bull Run is coming to Hawthorne Race Course in the Chicago area on July 12th, 2014. You can “grab life by the horns and experience the rush of a lifetime as you dodge eighteen 1,500-pound bulls as they run a quarter-mile course.” If you are not up for running with REAL bulls? No problem. You can watch all the action as a spectator or join in the fun as a participant in their tomato food fight, Tomato Royale!
The festival features music, tasty food, cold beer, mechanical bulls, foam dance pits and more! Read the Frequently Asked Questions for the details on how the run is structured and all of the other details.
Today is the last day to sign up online for $60. Event day registration is $75. You get: Participation in one running of the bulls (must be 18 or older), One beer (if 21 or over)FREE participation in the Tomato Royale food fight, Great Bull Run t-shirt and bandana and access to the day-long festival featuring great music, tasty food, fun games and cold beer.
The husband was game to try this but he will be out of town. Any takers, please let me know how it goes and godspeed!
What is happening by you this weekend??