Courtesy of Taste of Addison, Other Red Photography
Audio By Carbonatix
Every spring for 30 years, the city of Addison has hosted a major food festival that brought in local restaurants and concessionaires for a weekend of small bites and music.
This week, city announced that Taste of Addison is no more. At a work session on Tuesday, the City Council voted to discontinue the event. It was scheduled for April 17-19. A representative with the Town of Addison sent the Observer the following statement:
“After 30 years of food, music, and fun, Taste Addison has taken its final bow. While the three-day festival will no longer take place, its spirit will definitely live on. The Town will shift its focus toward fresh, creative ways to celebrate Addison’s incredible culinary scene. The core purpose of Taste Addison – promoting Addison’s 200+ restaurants – will be reenvisioned to include new, year-round options to support and elevate North Texas’ most vibrant dining hub.”
WFAA reported that the city lost $760,000 hosting the event last year, and several members of the council thought it better to invest in media exposure or a restaurant week, like Dallas, to support Addison’s dining scene.
Last year, featured restaurants included The Hub Sportsbar, Nate’s Seafood, Table 13, Yeli Chocolate, Rousso Concessions, Java and Hopps, Bowlero Bowl and 50 other spots.
Although it was not profitable, the event was highly accessible to the community. Early access tickets cost $10 for a single-day pass. On Sundays alone, Addison residents paid $5 for admission, and everyone else could get $3 off admission with a canned food donation. Kids got in for free, and both seniors and veterans got half-price admission.
While Addison will no longer host this spring event for foodies, don’t worry, the Town of Addison confirmed that Oktoberfest in the fall is here to stay.
