Overview Taste of Lincoln Avenue is a three-day Lincoln Park street festival whose gate money stays in the neighborhood: it raises funds for the Wrightwood Neighbors Association, which turns the gate donations into grants for the area's public schools, parks, food pantries and firehouse. It began in 1984. The festival runs north on Lincoln Avenue from its main entrances at Lincoln, Fullerton and Halsted, next to the Fullerton stop on the CTA Red, Brown and Purple lines. The 2026 edition, presented by Wells Fargo, was the 42nd. Special Events Management produces it, and the association, a volunteer group founded in 1962, is the beneficiary. On site Entry is free with a suggested donation at the gate. Two stages run the weekend: the Main Stage at Fullerton and the smaller Irish Eyes Stage. For 2026 every food vendor was local to Lincoln Park, from Cafe Tola's empanadas to Medi Kitchen and Cocktail, Sapori Trattoria and Dog Haus Biergarten, alongside arts and crafts booths. Friday night brings the Best of Lincoln Park Cocktail Competition, where six bartenders from along the Lincoln Avenue corridor pour original drinks and the crowd votes. Saturday has Whiskies on Lincoln, a ticketed Midwest distillery tasting run by Delilah's Chicago that has sold out before. A Kids' Carnival with inflatables runs every afternoon, and Sunday opens with a dog parade. Talent and Influencers The Main Stage books bands from across the Midwest. In 2026 Li'l Ed and The Blues Imperials and Sixteen Candles played Saturday, with Stache and Maggie Speaks on Friday and School of Rock opening Saturday. The Irish Eyes Stage carried James Gedda, Molly Adamson, Dylan Hankey, Brian Hoyt and Brendan Kelly. The 2025 whiskey tasting poured bottles from FEW Spirits, Three Floyds Distilling, Journeyman, Keeper's Heart, Wolf Point and more than 20 other Midwestern distilleries. Track record The association says the festival had raised more than $2.5 million over 35 years. Its grants have gone to Alcott Elementary, Lincoln Park High School and Oscar Mayer Magnet, Engine 55 on Halsted, the Lincoln Park Branch Library, the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum and the Dignity Diner. The dog parade reached its third year in 2026. Brand presence Wells Fargo presented the 2026 edition, and about two dozen other brands ran on the festival's sponsor wall that year, Cedar Ridge Distillery, Three Floyds, Verizon and Big Blue Swim School among them. Special Events Management builds sponsor packages to order, with pricing and benefits set per partner.