First-ever Taste of Bud Billiken gives sneak peek of iconic celebration

CHICAGO (WLS) -- There was a sampling Wednesday of the food, music and fun that make up Chicago's annual Bud Billiken Parade.

It's 10 days out from this year's event that helps kids kick off the school year ahead.

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And, on Wednesday, there was the first-ever Taste of Bud Billiken, which gave a sneak peek into the iconic celebration.

The first year of the event previewing Chicago's parade took place on the city's South Side.

"It's Taste of Bud. So, I thought it would be cool to give people a taste of what to expect when you actually get in the park on Aug. 10," Discover Community Engagement Manager Venisha White-Johnson said.

The celebration occupied the parking lot outside of the Shine Bright Community Center near 85th Street and Cottage Grove Avenue, a free community space opened by Discover in Chatham in 2022.

The company is a sponsor of this year's Bud and some of the performers.

"We know we are part of the community, and we want all of the Chicagoland to know Discover is not just here to do business; we're giving back," Discover Senior Manager of Community Affairs April Williams-Luster said.

The event featured neighborhood vendors, some back-to-school supply giveaways, food trucks and a preview of dance performances.

SEE ALSO: Longtime Bud Billiken Parade performers, Chi-Town Cats Cheerleaders, may not be allowed this year

"It's amazing; it's fun. It's family; its good music. It's a lot of good positive energy," Dance Force Troupe Director Kentrele Shipp said.

Callie Resendez, 9, is one of the dancers.

"It's fun, but, after a while, you get really hot," Resendez said.

This year will be the 95th year of the Bud Billiken Parade back-to-school celebration.

It's the second-largest parade in the United States, and began in 1929.

Organizers say this year's theme will celebrate legacy.

"It's tradition. It's culture. It's our community. It's us coming together. That's what it represents," said Myiti Sengstake-Rice, Chicago Defender Charities president and CEO.

Rising fifth-grader Dallas Bee plans on attending the parade, and is looking forward to everything new this school year has to offer.

"I hope this year I can get a really good teacher, really good friends, and I hope that makes me happy," Bee said.

Let the countdown begin.

The parade steps off in Chicago's Bronzeville neighborhood on Aug. 10.