Group suggests $20 Taste of Chicago fee

CHICAGO, Jan. 5 (UPI) -- A private group bidding to run the Taste of Chicago is proposing charging $20 to get in, which would be the first admission fee in the event's history.

The group, Celebrate Chicago LLC, said in its submitted plan the $20 entrance fees would each include $10 worth of food coupons and weekday afternoon admission would remain free, the Chicago Tribune reported Wednesday.

The group said "early bird" tickets would be available for $8 without the coupons and children under 10 would get in free.

The city began accepting private bids for the Taste and other lakefront events after losing millions on the festivals last year, the Tribune said.

The unrelated Taste of Minnesota in St. Paul, Minn., went belly up last month after it started charging admission for the Fourth of July event two years ago under new ownership, ending a three-decade run.