Another blow to summer as COVID-19 forces cancellation of Tacoma’s favorite food festival

The annual Taste of Tacoma, a three-day food and music festival in Point Defiance Park, has been canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, organizers announced June 30. Sister event Bite of Seattle also has been canceled, according to event host Festivals Inc.

As the coronavirus befell northwest Washington, Emerald Queen Casino and BECU postponed the event, originally scheduled for June 19 to June 21. They planned to reschedule to late summer as they developed a robust health and safety plan to accommodate COVID-19 restrictions.

Ultimately, they determined it would be nearly impossible to host the festival given public health mandates and the “unforeseeable and unpredictable future” for large gatherings in Washington state, according to a release.

Reported cases of COVID-19 have risen across the country in recent weeks, after nearly three months of stay-at-home orders expired and businesses reopened.

“Despite this devastating news, while we will miss bringing the community together to enjoy three days of food and fun in Tacoma, our top priority remains the health and safety of our guests, vendors, employees, bands, chefs and all involved who help make the Taste of Tacoma the ultimate summer get together,” said Festivals Inc. president Brett Gorrell.

Since its inauguration in 1986, the “Ultimate Summer Get Together” — known by locals simply as “The Taste” — has grown from 50,000 guests to more than 250,000, with three live music stages for 90-plus acts and more than 200 vendors. From chef battles to beer and wine tastings, the free event has for three decades welcomed South Sounders to summer.

It takes months to plan: to book the bands and chefs, to secure partnerships with the likes of Heritage Distilling Co. and Olympic Eagle Distributing, one of the region’s largest beer wholesalers, and to build the infrastructure that supports a couple hundred thousand people sprawled throughout Point Defiance Park for three days.

The event began four years after the debut Bite of Seattle, founded by restaurateur Alan Silverman. Festivals Inc has also hosted Oktoberfest Northwest, billed as the state’s largest Munich-style celebration.

This story was originally published July 1, 2020 at 12:23 PM.