Great Food for a Great Cause
The Taste of Evanston brings together the best of local cuisine, community spirit, and lakeside charm.
Hosted by the Evanston Lighthouse Rotary Club, this festive gathering features signature dishes from Evanston’s favorite restaurants, live music, and dancing—all in support of initiatives to combat housing insecurity in our city.
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Counting Down to Taste’s 12th Anniversary!
The Evanston Lighthouse Rotary Club will host the 12th Taste of Evanston on August 30 from 3 p.m. – 6 p.m. on the lakeside lawn of the historic Charles Gates Dawes House.
A wonderful opportunity for food lovers and civic-minded sponsors, Taste of Evanston offers delicious appetizers, entrees, desserts and drinks from the city's most popular restaurants, breweries, and wine shops. The event raises much-needed funds for respected local non-profits as well as supporting the ongoing philanthropic projects of the Lighthouse Club.
Attendees enjoy an unforgettable adventure filled with delicious bites, lively entertainment, and great community vibes!
2026 Taste of Evanston MC: Monica Eng
Monica Eng is a journalist with Axios Chicago. Her 40-year career spans the Sun-Times, Tribune, WBEZ, NPR, and more. She co-authored Made in Chicago: Stories Behind 30 Great Hometown Bites and has explored food, culture, and public life through the Chewing and Rotary Voices podcasts. Find her on Axios!
Musical Guest: Guitarra Azul
Music for Taste of Evanston will be provided by Guitarra Azul. Their music is a joyous celebration of life, filled with irresistible rhythms and unforgettable melodies that speak to the heart. Guitarra Azul’s music embodies the passion, beauty, and fiery spirit of Flamenco and Latin Jazz, making every encounter a soulful and exhilarating experience. Find them on their website!
A Toast to Our 2025 Restaurants
Doing Good, One Bite at a Time
Proceeds from Taste of Evanston (about $50,000 in 2025!) support local non-profit organizations in the areas of housing affordability and homelessness, job training, civil rights, education, the environment, and more. Funds also go to overseas projects, including Rotary International’s campaign to eradicate polio, rescuing trafficked children in Ghana, educating Syrian refugees in Turkey, improving maternal health care in Uganda, and supporting an audiology clinic in the Dominican Republic.
Our 2025 Sponsors
Their generosity brought the flavor!
Charles Gates Dawes House
The 1895 Dawes House rests on a two-acre lakefront site. Designed in the French chateaux style, the three-and-a- half story mansion has twenty-five rooms, six bedrooms, six bathrooms and twelve fireplaces. Once home to the 30th Vice President of the United States, the Dawes House is a national Historic Landmark and home to the Evanston History Center. Tours of the house will be available during the event. Click the following for directions here.
Date and Time
Sunday, August 30, 2026
3:00 PM - 6:00 PM CDT
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