After a summer that was nearly devoid of in-person events, it's looking like 2021 could follow suit regardless of whether a COVID-19 vaccine is developed and distributed in the coming months. During a City Council budget hearing this morning, Commissioner of the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (a.k.a. DCASE) Mark Kelly revealed that 2021 editions of the annual Taste of Chicago and the Chicago Air and Water Show are "not funded at this time" in the city's budget.
The cancelation of these events will result in a savings of $9 million for the city, which is a drop in the bucket as Chicago faces down a $1.2 billion shortfall in the 2021 fiscal year. But fans of free cultural programming shouldn't despair—Kelly says that DCASE still plans to produce "reimagined festivals of house and gospel music; blues and jazz concerts in Millennium Park; and Súbelo, a new Latinx music celebration as part of World Music Festival."
Taste of Chicago To-Go took the place of the in-person festival over the summer, offering special takeout meals from various local restaurants and online cooking classes. Originally scheduled for August 15 and 16, the Chicago Air and Water Show was canceled entirely due to a ban on large outdoor gatherings in the city.
During today's budget hearing, Kelly noted the toll that the pandemic has taken on Chicago music venues, theaters and performance spaces, contributing to what he called "a total devastation of the cultural landscape." While DCASE is moving forward with modified events, the defunding of the Taste of Chicago and the Air and Water Show are a direct result of a slew of budget cuts as the city tightens its belt—DCASE's programming budget for 2021 has been cut by 68 percent, amounting to $13 million.
Like most city departments, DCASE will have to make do with far fewer resources in 2021. But Kelly sees the city's cultural offerings as an important asset moving forward, stating, "After our city has conquered COVID-19, we expect to play a major role in Chicago's economic recovery."
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