“I tried every way that I could to work within the guidelines that the state has set forth for holding an event outdoors and we were repeatedly denied an event license,” said Village President Angelo “Skip” Saviano. “We have modified other events like the Fourth of July parade, concerts, and movies in the park but the state would not let us go forward with the Taste, even with all of the precautions that we planned to put in place.”

In their rejection of the village’s request for an event permit, the State of Illinois said that “general admission public gatherings are not permitted in Phase 4 [of the state’s recovery plan]” and that the Village’s application for an event license would not be approved.

The state also said that under phase 4 of the recovery plan they “prohibit large outdoor gatherings like music venues, although it is ok for there to be outdoor music playing at an outdoor dining/drinking business.” Because of this rule, the village plans to host musical entertainment at 74th Ct and North Avenue from August 6th through the 9th and restaurant owners are encouraged to make special offers or showcase certain dishes during these days.

“We still plan to showcase Elmwood Park’s phenomenal restaurant scene,” said Saviano. “While we will have to wait till 2021 for a traditional Taste, we’re going to work within the Governor’s rules to highlight our restaurants and provide our residents with the opportunity to celebrate the great culinary options here.”

Residents should check the village website and Facebook page for updates on what specials will be offered and what kind of musical entertainment they can expect.

“These are challenging times,” said Saviano. “But that only means that we need to pull together all the more. We’re coming up with innovative ways to celebrate summer like bringing the Independence Day parade to all of the resident’s houses. This will be different but we’ll make sure to make the most of it. We are Elmwood Park – Coming Together.”