It was June 2005, and we were headed in the car towards The Taste of Chicago. Armed with empty stomachs and a reason to celebrate, we were ready for some fun.

It was my son Will’s 15^th birthday, and he chose this venue for his birthday outing because he loves going into the city. Any season. Any day. Any time. We lived up north in the sleepy suburbs and Will just gravitated towards the energy of a large metropolitan area.

I mention any “season” because the Windy City can get hot too and that day was no exception. The temperature was just shy of 90 degrees and walking on asphalt in the middle of the urban heat island made it close to 100 degrees. Oh, and there were plenty of hot, open grills around. I was already looking forward to some true Italian ice.

Officially, the Taste of Chicago is the world’s largest food festival. The concept is that the portions are small; we are buying just a “taste”. Personally, I didn’t think the portions were that small.

They block off the streets in and around Grant Park so over 70 Chicago restaurants, both everyday joints and finer culinary establishments, can set up tents and signs and grill polish sausages, Vienna Beef hot dogs, barbeque ribs, heat-up Chicago-style pizza and hand out giant turkey legs and roasted corn on the cob by the truckful.

One iconic restaurant there is the Billy Goat Tavern, which was parodied in a hilarious Saturday Night Live skit, including most of the original cast. “Cheezborger! Cheezborger! Cheezborger! No Coke–Pepsi!” If a cheezborger and nostalgia doesn’t stir your stomach, participants can also try duck or Persian cuisine.

Grant Park sits right on Lake Michigan so participants can look out and see sailboats galore, especially on the weekends. If one is lucky, it’s great to find a seat by the majestic Buckingham Fountain. It almost feels like you’re in the middle of a Seurat painting. In fact, that is just down the street at The Art Institute of Chicago.

We found parking inside one of the large office buildings and made our way inside the festival. I always like to walk around first and make a mental checklist. There is nothing worse than eating at the 1^st, 2^nd and 5^th booths only to find your favorite food at the 19^th.

In 2005, “the Taste” (as it is affectionately called) attracted 3.9 million people over the ten-day event.

I’d be lying if I said I remember what I ate that day. That might have been the year I tried duck. It tasted like chicken. By far, Will “tasted” the most; as it should be.

It was early evening as we walked down the sidewalk, which bordered the open-air Petrillo Music Shell and its accompanying lawn. They use the Shell for many music festivals, concerts and live entertainment.

We had just found ourselves walking that way; probably to meander slowly towards the car. Soon, we were passing four luxury coach buses parked on the street alongside the sidewalk.

“What do you think this is about?” I asked no one in particular. I wondered if some culinary dignitaries had arrived in to be wined and dined. Then we saw some men get off the bus right in front of us. They were not tourists or corporate “suits.” A couple of them had long hair. They were all in jeans, sleeveless black vests, and an array of cowboy hats.

Then it dawned on all of us. On certain nights during the Taste, the organizers bring in well-known bands to play in the Shell. Admission is free.

People around us were buzzing.

“They’re here, they’re here,” they said.

“Who’s here?” one of us asked.

“Lynyrd Skynyrd” a stranger replied.

“WHAT? The band which wrote one of my all-time favorite songs ever in the history of man and womankind ‘Sweet Home Alabama’ is walking in front of me right now?” I thought, awestruck.

I was introduced to this southern rock band in my teens. Their infamous ballad “Free Bird” often closed out dances (sometimes awkwardly) during my high school years.

“Are they playing tonight over there?” I asked, pointing to the Shell.

“Yeah, and Creedence Clearwater Revival is opening for them,” the stranger added before disappearing into the crowd. Familiar with the set-up, there are seats, mostly taken or for purchase, but anyone could stand on the lawn.

We all looked at each other. It was Will’s birthday, so he was in charge. However, I’m not saying that I didn’t have laser beam eyes looking at him, praying for the right decision.

“Yeah, I don’t mind. We can go check it out,” he replied, and we veered off the sidewalk towards the lawn. I was on cloud nine (which is ironic because the infamous Chicago sculpture named “Cloud Gate” was just north and east of us.)

I am always drawn to serendipitous events because their essence of “something unexpected” heightens the joy and confirms that I’m supposed to be in that spot. You can’t force serendipity, it just happens. That’s the magic.

The evening was phenomenal. As it grew darker, and they rocked the songs from my youth, I just looked up at the city skyline, now lit up. Between the music, the beauty of the outdoors, the city lights and spending a great day with my family, I felt a bolt of happiness and contentment traveling from the night sky right through to my hand-clapping, aging-but-still-feeling-young 5’4″ frame standing on the grass. It was a one-of-a-kind feeling.

It’s the perfect time to share this story for a couple of reasons. The first is that fifty years ago, on June 24th, Lynyrd Skynyrd released “Sweet Home Alabama.” It is their highest-charting single, reaching number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1974.

The song’s co-writer and former Lynyrd Skynyrd guitarist Ed King once said, “It’s one of the finest feel-good tunes of all time. It picks you up when you’re feelin’ blue”. His quote brings a grin if you are familiar with the lyrics.

And as I conclude my homage to summer here, I have to acknowledge that this is the time of year where I temporarily put the blog on pause so I can focus on other writing. If there is a story, however, which won’t keep quiet in my head, it will still land here, and I’ll also poke my head into a few blogs here and there. I think I’ll be back in August sometime.

A link to “Sweet Home Alabama” is below. I DARE you not to tap your toes or smile if you listen. You may even turn it up! I hope you find your summer mood (if you haven’t already.)

Sweet Home Alabama

Photo Credit: Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs