The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
FOOD SHOWCASED
Variety of cultural dining options available at annual international festival
The Lorain International Festival, located at Black River Landing, 421 Black River Lane, continued June 23 offering a variety of great performances, venders and food.
One of the festival’s big draws is the food vendors, and both the Puerto Rican and Mexican booths were being run to support Lorain’s Sacred Heart Chapel, located at 4301 Pearl Ave.
“Our congregation is comprised of many different cultures and ethnicities, and we love to celebrate that,” said Father Bill Thaden of Sacred Heart. “We have two booths that are serving food we typically have over at Sacred Heart. It is so great to see people come out and enjoy the great food and support Sacred Heart in the process.”
Andrea Bargas, of Lorain and one of the people working the Mexican food booth, said it is
“Too many people say they are eating Mexican food when they go to Taco Bell; the food at our booth is the real deal.” — Andrea Bargas, of Lorain
the best place to get some authentic Mexican food.
“We have some tacos, tamales, tostadas, and the fan favorite Mexican Street Corn,” she said. “Too many people say they are eating Mexican food when they go to Taco Bell; the food at our booth is the real deal. I grew up eating this food and it doesn’t get any better than real, authentic Mexican food.”
Bargas said the street corn has really become the prime dish of the festival.
“It kind of embodies a festival atmosphere, and it is a great value at $2,” she said. “We take the corn on the cob and lather it in mayonnaise, adding chili powder, cheese and garlic. It is truly delicious. Some people may be apprehensive when trying new things, but most find it very good.”
Tommy Ortiz, of Lorain, was tasked with running the Puerto Rican booth for the first time this year.
“It is really fun to be a part of the festival,” he said. “It is a lot of work putting everything together but it is worth it. Our Pastelillos, a meat turnover,
have been a big hit. I love seeing everyone enjoying the food.”
Louis Gallager of Cleveland said he was at the festival for the food.
“It is all really good and there is such a great variety,” he said. “You have such a mix of everything from Puerto Rican food to Italian, it is really a great place that you can’t experience anywhere else, I’m glad I came.”
John Wooldridge, an Amherst resident, said he loves coming to the festival for the food.
“I like the Italian food, the stromboli was excellent,” he said. “You get to
see all the vendors with foods and styles from different cultures. It is really a lot of fun, and it is a great learning experience as well.”
Carys Trubach, also from Amherst, was the runner up for International Festival Princess in 2016.
“I love coming back and seeing the performances,” she said. “I have a few friends performing, so it has been fun watching them. The festival always does a great job representing so many great cultures. I was glad to be a part of it and it is always great to be back.”