Chicago mayor opposes Taste admission fees

CHICAGO, Jan. 6 (UPI) -- Chicago Mayor Richard Daley said he will oppose any plans to charge admission for the Taste of Chicago after a bidder suggested a $20 entrance fee.

Daley indicated Thursday he will not support the bid to take over the Taste by Celebrate Chicago LLC because the group, which is comprised of the Illinois Restaurant Association and Chicago-based live entertainment companies JAM Productions and AEG Live, wants to charge $20 admission fees for the event, the Chicago Tribune reported Thursday.

"That's unacceptable. We're not Taste of Milwaukee," Daley said.

He said part of the reason the waterfront event has been losing money in recent years is because it strayed from its original message of highlighting Chicago food and spent too much time and money bringing in big-name musical acts.