She and her successor, Mayor Harold Washington, dedicated more time and energy to promoting the Taste, slowly phasing ChicagoFest out in the process.

Mayor Washington finally put an end to ChicagoFest when in 1983 it was moved from Navy Pier to Soldier Field and attendance continued to wane.

In June 2020, the event was one of several Chicago events officially cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic;[8] it was replaced by "Taste of Chicago To-Go" programming that included an online directory of vendors, video cooking demonstrations and performances, a food truck procession, and an expansion of the existing Community Eats program that brings free meals to first responders.

[9][10] On July 12, 2007, city officials reported that an outbreak beginning in the Pars Cove Persian Cuisine booth caused 17 people to fall ill due to salmonella poisoning.

The booth failed a previous routine inspection for serving undercooked dishes but city officials did not file the report until Wednesday.

City health inspectors found several violations at the restaurant including unsanitary conditions, improper refrigeration, and mouse droppings.