33rd Taste of Edmonton festival offers something for everyone
10-day event will feature more than 60 vendors, live music and competitions
The city is about to get a little more flavourful as Taste of Edmonton spices up Churchill Square again.
Starting Thursday, 47 restaurant vendors and 14 food trucks will offer a variety of food and beverage choices from cuisines across the globe.
Events Edmonton general manager Paul Lucas said the festival boasts eight new vendors this year, many offering foods from East Asia, including Parkallen and Afghan Chopan Kebab.
As well, nine of the 14 food trucks will offer gluten-free options.
Lucas said it’s important to provide choices for everyone.
The 33rd annual 10-day festival will also feature some new attractions and dining options, including the Taste of New and Dinner in the Sky as part of a larger new outdoor dining experience.
For six evenings, Taste of New will offer a different food theme, where a few chefs and beverage providers will prepare unique dishes from the vendors, including Italian, vegan and vegetarian and mamawi mitso — offering foods of Aboriginal cultures.
The new Dinner in the Sky attraction will allow groups of up to four people to enjoy food and beverages while watching the evening’s entertainment in a scissor lift up to four metres in the air.
Meanwhile, about 30 Canadian musical acts will perform during the festival.
The festival is trying to appeal more to families this year, so they have made it more “European style” by creating a Taste Piazza, rather than just a traditional a beer garden.
“The idea with the Taste Piazza is to give people a completely different outdoor experience with food and beverage, and not necessarily getting into drinking tons of beer,” he said.
To appeal to the younger foodies, there will also be a Taste 4 Kids that features entertainment, programs that help youngsters learn about healthy and active living, as well as a tour to help them explore how food is grown locally.
Teaming up with Epicurean Adventure Tours, walking tours will also be available to take adults to several Edmonton restaurants. Tour themes include: Bacon and brews, Edmonton’s best brunch, gourmet dessert and Canadian favourites.
The festival will also serve as a backdrop for the Canadian Food Championships that run July 21-23, featuring about 100 amateur and professional chefs from across the country.
Seven food competitions will be held during the festival and the winner in each category will advance to the World Food Championships, held in Orange Beach, Ala., in November.
The Taste of Edmonton festival runs until July 29.
More information and event tickets can be found online at tasteofedm.ca.