- Credibility:
PILSEN — Mole, music and more will return to 18th Street in Pilsen as local chefs compete in the annual Mole de Mayo festival over Memorial Day weekend.
This year’s 15th annual festival is 5-10 p.m. May 26, noon-10 p.m. May 27 and noon-9 p.m. May 28 along 18th Street between Ashland and Blue Island avenues.
The weekend features a mole cook-off, live music and lucha libre Mexican wrestling. The event is free, but organizers ask for a $5 donation from individuals and $10 from families. A lineup of performers is here.
Mole is a Mexican sauce typically made with chili peppers, spices, nuts and chocolate, and it is traditionally served over enchiladas and meats.
Last year was the event’s first time back to being held in person after virtual or reduced versions of the festival were held in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic.
Last year, some neighbors tried to get organizers to move the bustling event from 18th Street to a quieter spot. Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez (25th) supported relocating the festival, but many residents spoke in favor of the event staying put. Ultimately, the event remained on 18th Street as scheduled.
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