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LAKEVIEW — A festival celebrating Thai culture in Chicago is making its return for the first time in four years.
Thai Festival Chicago returns from 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Sunday at Thorek Hospital’s parking lot, 851 W. Irving Park Road.
The festival has not been held since 2019 as it went on hiatus during the pandemic, said Dew Suriyawan, owner of Uptown’s Immm Rice & Beyond. Suriyawan is organizing the event along with the Thai American Association of Illinois.
The festival launched in 2017 and ran for three consecutive years before the pandemic.
Whereas previous years of the festival focused on Thai food, this year’s festival highlights the entirety of Chicago’s Thai cultural offerings, Suriyawan said.
The fest will feature over 30 vendors, including popular Thai restaurants like Immm Rice & Beyond, Sticky Rice and Paula’s Thai Kitchen. Other vendors will sell traditional Thai merchandise and crafts, Suriyawan said.
A beer tent will feature Thai brews including Singha and Leo, organizers said.
Each day of the festival will begin with a traditional Thai drum parade. There will be live Thai music and DJs, traditional Thai dance performances, a Muay Thai martial arts demonstration and culinary workshops. The Thai custom of daily Buddhist prayer will also be observed, organizers said.
The festival is free with a suggested donation of $5 to support organizers. For more on Thai Festival Chicago, click here.
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