Photo Courtesy: Facebook
By: Chantal Dunn
Taste of Edmonton claims to be putting picnics to shame for 33 years.
The festival, going into its 34th year, is a way to try different restaurants around the city and listen to free live music in one location.
This year the festival runs from Thursday July 18 until Sunday July 28. The 10 day festival will be held on Capital Plaza from 11 a.m. – 11 p.m. daily, except on July 28 the festival will close early at 8 p.m.
Food from the trucks cost tickets. These food tickets can be purchased in many packages. The prices including GST are $9 for 5 tickets, $17 for 10 tickets, $34 for 20 tickets or $67 for 40 tickets. Food items range anywhere from 2 tickets to 4 tickets.
Some food vendors include The Melting Pot, Italian Bakery Edmonton, Afghan Food, The Underground Tap and Grill, Kyoto Japanese Cuisine, Pampa Brazilian Steakhouse and many more. There are also beer and wine selections. With the wide variety of popular restaurant representation, there are also many options for dietary restrictions. Alternative celiac, vegetarian, vegan and nut free food options are present by many food vendors.
The concerts are all ages and free for anybody to attend. Popular headlining bands have hit the stage year after year. Some of the past bands to have played include Sloan, Said The Whale, The Royal Foundry, Whale and the Wolf, Scenic Route to Alaska, Shawn Desman, One Bad Son and many more.
The set list for this year’s Taste of Edmonton has yet to be announced.
Aside from the regularly scheduled entertainment, there are kids activities as well. “Taste 4 Kids” in the past have included magic shows, puppet shows, dancing, scavenger hunts and even a kids cooking workshop.
For out of town guests there are a variety of recommended hotel options. On the Taste of Edmonton website there are also packages for out of town guests that include a stay at a nearby hotel, and some food tickets included in that price.
If you are interested in volunteering at the festival there is contact information online at Taste of Edmonton