the Rockford Regional Chamber of Commerce announced plans for this year's annual Taste of Rockford, scheduled for June 17-18. Previously held in the Forest Plaza parking lot, the festival has moved to the Rockford College campus, parking lot A. 

This year's Taste of Rockford marks its fifth anniversary, featuring cuisine from 28 of the area's finest restaurants; from the local, such as Beef-A-Roo and Basil Café, to chain restaurants, including Famous Dave's and Culver's. "As one of our signature events of the summer, Taste of Rockford will have something for everyone," said Gary Peters, chief executive officer of the Chamber. "I'm new to the area, and I'm looking forward to sampling some of what the Rock River Valley has to offer. I'm told Taste of Rockford is the place to be this summer. At the Chamber, we plan to make it a family affair, and we're inviting everyone to come out and join us."

Music fans are advised to mark their calendars, for what will be Rockford's first festival of the summer. Friday night will feature a local favorite, The Fabulous Janes. Cowboy Mouth will headline this year's festival, with its New Orleans-style rock n' roll. A Waterfront favorite, this national touring act will take the stage Saturday night, featuring tunes from their hit album, Live at the Zoo. "We've heard great things about Cowboy Mouth's appearance at On the Waterfront," said Kimberly Buchanan, who's responsible for event planning and public relations for the Taste. "Due to the positive response they received, and the enormous amount of crowd participation, we thought it would be a great idea to bring Cowboy Mouth back again for the Rockford fans."  Also, on Saturday night, participants can enjoy the fireworks, which is a new addition this year. The kids play area has also been expanded to include more games, inflatable bounces and the petting zoo.

Taste of Rockford opens Friday, June 17, from 5 p.m. to midnight, and Saturday, June 18, from noon to midnight. Tickets for this year's festival are $5. Participants are encouraged to arrive early - tickets will increase to $7 after 7 p.m., nightly. Children ages 12 and under are free. Advance tickets are now available for purchase at a discounted rate of $3 at the Chamber office, located at 515 N. Court Street in Rockford. Vendor applications for food booths are accepted until May 13, 2005. The public is encouraged to log on to tasteofrockford.com or call 815-987-8100 for more information.

First Northern Credit Union, Saturn of Rockford and Cumulus Broadcasting are the primary sponsors of Taste of Rockford. Others, as of April 29, are: Lorden Distributing, Judge & Dolph (Malibu, Sauza, Clos du Bois, Stoli), Ecowater, Pepsi, LaMonica Beverages, Rockford Litho, Award Designs, WTVO, Insight Communications, GFS, and KB Communications.