Taste of Chicago 2016: Security in spades, Mayor Daley's name plastered everywhere

Chicago’s biggest annual outdoor food festival, super-sized its security again this year and slathered every flat surface in sight with Mayor Daley's name. Hundreds of thousands of people battled 90-degree temperatures to sample grub from local fan-favorite restaurants. This year’s event is a major test for the city. Just 9 days before the Taste’s first day, Mayor Daley and Chicago 2016 bid leader Pat Ryan made their case for the games to the IOC in Switzerland. Chicago’s in the running for holding the big event: the 2016 summer Olympics. But first thing’s first—hosting the 29th annual food fest.

Much of the Taste’s staples remain the same—Eli’s cheesecake, enormous crowds and sweltering heat. However this Taste can and should be viewed as a strong indication of how the city handles big events and intends to present itself to visitors come 2016. People looking for a taste of what a Chicago Olympics might look like could do worse than to look to "The Taste." Here we'll take a look at security at the event, how it was branded, and point you to the best coverage of it from across the web.

I. A good helping of security, but not too much

Chicago Police Department Superintendent. Jody Weis promised to beef up security at this year’s Taste, saying “folks will feel very safe because they’re going to see a police officer on almost every block,” according to the Sun-Times. Previous year's events have been marred by violence. Last year, Weis' first as superintendent, saw 4 people shot while leaving the event one night. This year's event has been violence free so far, though one man was arrested for allegedly bringing in a loaded handgun Saturday night.

Officers at entrance

This year's Taste had four "security-heavy" entrances. In this photo, officers stand by the one at the Jackson Street entrance.

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