Sacramento isn't the only city grappling with violence and other problems at special events.

Chicago has had similar problems with festivals such as the Taste of Chicago, the city's biggest special event. The Taste draws about 3 million people to lakefront Grant Park for the 10-day summer festival each year.

The Camellia City can take some cues from the City of Big Shoulders. Chicago Police and the Mayor's Office of Special Events, which runs the event with help from other departments, constantly fine-tune operations for the Taste to handle problems as they emerge.

Several shootings have occurred near the Taste in the last seven years. Three teens were stabbed in a gang fight near the event on July 1, shortly after closing. In 2008, a 20-year-old was killed and three teens injured in gang shootings that broke out in the Loop as a mass of people left Grant Park after the July 3 fireworks.

"You're trying to do something nice for 99 percent of the public and that one percent just makes things difficult," said Cindy Gatziolis, spokeswoman for the Mayor’s Office of Special Events in Chicago.

Some of the Taste's problems — as well as benefits — have come from its popularity, similar to the Second Saturday Art Walk in Sacramento. On Sept. 12, a 24-year-old Sacramento man was killed and three others injured in a gang shooting after the official close of the popular monthly event, which is drawing growing crowds.

This year marked the Taste of Chicago’s 30th anniversary. The event began July 4, 1980, with 36 restaurants selling food from tents after Chicago restaurateur Arnie Morton convinced the city to close a six-block stretch of downtown's Michigan Avenue. At least 150,000 people turned out, leading the city to move the event to Grant Park the next year.

"They thought Michigan Avenue would be great, but (the Taste) was too big," Gatziolis said. "So it was a victim of its success."

Following the recent shooting, Sacramento City Councilman Steve Cohn is hosting a community forum on Second Saturday Art Walks at 9 a.m. Saturday at the Hart Senior Center, 915 27th St.

An estimated 20,000 are drawn to Midtown for Second Saturdays. The event is built around an art walk that's grown into a street festival, with musicians and DJs in parking lots and outside storefronts, sidewalk vendors selling T-shirts and jewelry, and restaurants selling food. The event's hours have been 5-10 p.m., but crowds remain longer in an area with bars, restaurants and house parties.

Responding to complaints, Sacramento Police cracked down on problems at the most recent Second Saturday. They arrested 17 minors for 10 p.m. curfew violations and took them to police headquarters until parents came. Police cited about 40 more people, including business owners, for alcohol-related violations including underage and public drinking, plus public intoxication and urination.

Now billed as the world's largest outdoor food fest, the Taste of Chicago grew to 70 restaurants, though now it is limited to 53. Free music at several stages have led to another description as “the world's largest free mosh pit.” About 300,000 people attend on busy days. Until 2010, 1 million people have gone to the Taste on July 3 for Chicago's legendary fireworks, set off above Lake Michigan next to Grant Park.

Last summer for the first time, the fireworks were held July 4th at three other lakefront locations downtown and on the North and South sides to spread out crowds, cut costs, make management easier and ease pressure on city services including police, fire and paramedics. This year, the city also closed the Taste early on July 3 — at 7 p.m., rather than 9 or 9:30 p.m.

"July 3 was often very overwhelming," Gatziolis said. "I think we decided this was too many people for one spot."

Multi-departmental meetings are held months in advance to strategize for each Taste of Chicago.

The Taste is held in a 24-square-block area centering on Grant Park between Lake Shore Drive and Michigan Avenue. Smaller cross streets are closed to cars.

For the last two summers — since the fatal shooting — the area has been fenced to create a contained area and controlled entrances, where police and private security can watch for disturbances and things that are illegal or might cause problems. Fencing has enabled police and organizers to manage the event more like a concert pavilion than open city streets, Gatziolis said.

Some bands will draw more teens or 20-somethings to the Taste. At entries, security checks bags for alcohol and illegal substances. People 21 or older get wristbands to buy beer and wine at seven booths. Security stationed near those booths guard against people buying alcohol for minors.

The Chicago Police Department's Special Events Unit creates deployment orders for city-sponsored festivals including the Taste and nearby areas as crowds leave such festivals. Special Events may employ uniformed and undercover officers from all units, including tactical officers, gang units and other specialized teams.

Officers are deployed on foot, bikes and horses. Undercover police watch for concealed weapons. Surveillance cameras are also used.

The recent violence has primarily happened after closing, when crowds dispersed on city streets or the "L," Chicago's rapid transit system. After closing, police line some streets and are dispersed around the area, while others patrol "L" trains and stations.

"The overall safety strategy for all festivals, including the Taste of Chicago, is to have a strong police presence in areas where we anticipate large crowds," said Roderick Drew, director of the Chicago Police Department's Office of News Affairs. "This includes public transit hubs and ingress and egress routes for pedestrians."

The city has inscribed all light poles in the area with numbers so safety and health incidents, which can include Chicagoans who've gotten dehydrated or too hot, can be reported and paramedics or police can respond quickly.

To combat Chicago's heat and humidity, the city sets up misting tents, and the Chicago Transit Authority brings out buses with air conditioning. Announcements are broadcast to remind people to drink plenty of water.

Mayor Richard Daley said in late August he's considering privatizing management of the Taste, music festivals and some other city services.

Chicago also hosts 200 to 300 independently organized neighborhood festivals, art fairs and music events each year. For such events, police request site and security plans, designated command posts, security guards or others assigned to monitor patron conduct, and a communications system between monitors and the command post.

Three festivals are held one June weekend in a five-block area in the Old Town neighborhood on the North Side. All three events are held in contained areas. They also keep troublemakers away by charging entrance fees in the form of $5 to $10 donations.

Adam McLain, a mortgage banker headquartered in Old Town, said he's never seen anything more than "a push or shove from drunken people" at any of the festivals he's attended annually for nearly 20 years.

"The reason why Taste of Chicago has problems is because it's free," said McLain, 47.

The Old Town Art Fair has brought artists from around the country to a historic residential district for 61 years. Using 750 resident volunteers, a neighborhood organization called the Old Town Triangle Association sets up booths, a food court, a music stage and a children's art program along four streets in a barricaded area with controlled entrances.

"It's a smaller area, but we pack them in pretty tight," said Emily Rose, general chair for the 2011 art fair. "We can't ask our whole neighborhood to shut down."

The event is built around fine art selling for $500 to $3,000 from 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. to draw a crowd — 50,000 in a weekend — that wants to view and buy art or take a garden walk at 50 homes.

"There's not as much day drinking or hanging out to cause a ruckus," Rose said.

Eight off-duty, non-uniformed beat and patrol officers who know the area and the people — and who are permitted to carry guns — are hired to work at each entrance, while six others watch money and patrol. Five guard the site overnight. Association dues and fair proceeds fund the officers.

If something even looks "uncomfortable," officers can escort people out. On-duty officers are called via 911 if there's an incident or suspected incident. The fair hasn't had any violence or major problems in at least 20 years, partly because they "don't mess around" with private security guards, said Dan Baldwin, chairman for grounds and security since 1990.

"I think the word's out with the bad guys that we have real Chicago police," Baldwin said. "My advice is hire the local cops, 'cuz they know who the creeps are. Creeps get 20 feet from the gate and they see the beat cops and they don't come in."

The 36-year-old Wells Street Art Festival draws about 100,000 for art and music, as well as food and drink from booths or restaurants and bars along a six-block or half-mile commercial stretch. The fest is open until 10 p.m., with continuous music from street musicians and a main stage.

The crowd is very social, made up of people who like to hang out at Wells Street bars and restaurants. Booths sell beer and wine. Restaurants with liquor licenses must have private security during the fest.

Chicago Police provide 20 to 25 on-duty officers for the event. Organizers hire 35 more people, including undercover off-duty cops. Recent problems have included "gypsy bands" of four or five well-dressed people who employ someone to engage an artist while cash and valuables are stolen.

A few years ago, cash and jewelry were stolen from an artist's parked car a few blocks away after someone followed her from the festival, said Henry Zemola, head of Special Events Management, which manages the festival.

Affluent Wells Street borders one of Chicago's worst gang areas, connected to the Cabrini Green housing project. Known or suspected gang members will be stopped at the festival’s entrances and asked where they're going and what they're doing, which often intimidates them enough they'll leave. Police will also blatantly tail people through the fest.

"You can bring a nice audience, which we do. We still get the element of undesirables that will come," Zemola said.

The Old Town Merchants & Residents Association has 37 years of experience organizing the event and engaging residents and business owners in a give-and-take process.

“That's a lot of time to figure out what's working and what's not," said John Blick, the association’s executive director. "It's a difficult balance — because you do need the crowds and you do need the enthusiastic people."

Security may be easily overlooked or sacrificed when special events are problem-free, but good security is key to an event running smoothly, Baldwin said.

“You don't need it until something goes wrong,” he said. “What we're trying to do is have an event that’s fun for the artist, fun for the residents, and one where there's not any issues.”

Taste of Chicago photo provided by the Chicago Mayor's Office of Special Events. Old Town Art Fair photos provided by Old Town Triangle Association.