This afternoon we attended our first food festival. My children tasted brand new foods that we’ve never tried. Some of the food became instant favorites, other food we tasted is going to take a few tastings to make it to our top favorite list. The sun broke out from behind the clouds. The sky was blue. The local musicians added to the flavor of the day. Crave Lexington did the city of Lexington proud.

Here are a few things to know before you attend your next local food festival.

Crave Lexington Food Festival Tips

Get more information about Crave Lexington.

If it looks good….eat it!

Popular food icon Andrew Zimmern ends each episode of Bizzare Foods with the phrase “If it looks good…eat it.. My family had the opportunity to try some new foods. We tried Cajun Jambayla, Indian Samboosa, BBQ from Red State BBQ, craft ice cream from Crank & Boom, Thai wonton nachos, pork tamales and more. The food options were extensive. This event gave us the opportunity to push out of our typical food and restaurant choices. I think next time we go out to eat as a family that we may look for some Thai food!

How much does it cost?

Crave Lexington is free to attend. You can go and enjoy all the music and atmosphere you want without paying a penny. You don’t even have to pay to park! However, to really enjoy the festival, you need to buy food tickets. You can buy however many tickets you want. Food and drink tickets are separate. We had $40 in food tickets and $10 in drink tickets.

Each vendor offers 3 choices at their stations. You can buy the $1 bite size, $3 taste or $5 sample tray. Drinks are available at some vendors as well. We chose to buy 1 item at many of the booths so we could enjoy a wide variety of foods.

Water bottles were $2.00; Cokes $3.00; Alcoholic beverages are available but I did not pay attention to the cost or options. I did notice that those who were drinking alcoholic beverages were wearing a wristband showing that they were over 21.

We loved the ice cream from Crank & Boom (single scoop $3.00; double scoop $5.00). We couldn’t decide if our favorite was the Dark Chocolate Truffle, Coffee or Banana and Nutella combination!

The $40 in Food tickets was a great amount for our family. We just kept on trying something else new and then splitting it as a family.

Is it kid-friendly?

Yes! The event was great for kids today. There were several inflatable bounce houses, a balloon maker, face painting, even a go-fish game! I don’t know if the atmosphere changes after dark, but while we were there, we had a great time as a family!

What should you take

If you are concerned about possible spills on your clothes, then wet-wipes may be handy. You don’t really have to touch anything except your food, but if you feel the need to wash your hands regularly, you may want to carry your own hand sanitizer. Each of the vendors offers napkins and flatware for their food offerings. There are recycle and trash containers positioned all over the festival area. There are tables and covered tent areas spaced around the area as well so there’s no reason to carry your own bag chairs.

You are allowed to take strollers and diaper bags, but you are not allowed to carry in coolers or your own food or drinks.

The Music

There is a continuous concert going on over on the Tadoo Music Stage. While we were there we enjoyed listening to several different local musicians. The sounds of the festival are a great part. You can sit down and enjoy your food or just take a few minutes away from the food and soak in some great music.

We had a great time at our first ever food festival. We all walked away feeling full but not stuffed. We enjoyed spending the time together trying new foods. We can’t wait till another opportunity to enjoy this again!

Have you ever been to a food festival? I’d love to hear your favorite stories!

My family received complimentary tickets for the purpose of promotion. All opinions are my own. I was not asked to give a positive review.