At street fest in Tacoma, explore foods from around world, live music and a kids corner
Savor Fest, a food festival where guests can sample dishes from around the world on one Tacoma block, returns this weekend with two dozen vendors, a DJ and dance performances, plus a kids corner and Disney characters.
Now in its fourth year, the event has grown from a handful of food stands in one parking lot to its new location in partnership with Mi Centro in Hilltop.
On Sunday, 24 vendors will fill South 10th Street from L to M as well as the Mi Centro parking lot. Vendors hail from around Pierce and King counties, making Savor Fest a unique opportunity to try food from businesses that would otherwise require a road trip.
It’s organized by the intrepid Lydia Mendez, who has been hard at work growing her own Little Miss Sweets NYC wholesale bakery that specializes in Puerto Rican desserts with an exclusive focus on gluten-free treats. You can find her cheesecakes, tres leches, cakes, rainbow cookies and more at local stores, including Tacoma Boys, H&L Produce and Thriftway.
Both on staff at Mi Centro, Maribel Galvan, director of arts and culture, and Valentine Cortes, program assistant, assisted Mendez.
A native New Yorker-turned-Tacoman, she is particularly excited about being in Hilltop and having a block-party setup.
“It reminds me of where I’m from,” she said.
The 2024 Savor Fest lineup includes 11 savory vendors, four libation stations, five dessert stands and four local companies with packaged foods such as kimchi and hot sauce. If you attended last year’s festival at the Waterfront Market in Ruston or the 2022 edition in tandem with Art on the Ave, you’re still in for fresh eats: More than half of this year’s vendors are new to the event.
Chef Jhonny Reyes is one big-name addition. Reyes is a “Chopped” champion who has snagged attention in Seattle for his “Nuyorican” and island-inspired plates that honor the Afro-Latin fusion cuisine prolific in Harlem. After successful pop-ups, he recently opened a brick-and-mortar restaurant, Lenox.
Other newcomers include Rico’s Fast Food, a Colombian food truck based in Bothell; Chubby Plant, a Tacoma-based vegan catering company; and El Guero, a mobile restaurant known for quesabirria and aqua frescas.
DJ Tremenda Diosa will play tunes throughout the day while welcoming several performers to the stage, including Costa Rican folklore and calypso dancing with Cana Dulce Seattle and Dancing Ting, a Caribbean dance hall. Magic in the PNW will have in-costume characters roaming the street for photos.
In light of the anticipated sunny and warm forecast, there will be shaded seating areas near the kids area and the stage. It’s free to enter.
Here’s the full lineup:
SAVORY FOODS
▪ Chubby Plant - vegan soul food
▪ El Guero - Guadalajaran
▪ Galileo’s Pizzeria - Neapolitan-style pizza
▪ Jan Parker Cookery - seasonal Filipino
▪ Jumpin’ Jambalaya - Cajun and Creole
▪ Kaurs Kitchen - Northern Indian
▪ Lumpia Love - Filipino
▪ Lenox - Nuyorican and Afro-Latin
▪ Rico’s Fast Food - Colombian
▪ Seven Sons Kitchen - Texas-style barbecue
▪ Trini Plate - Trinidadian
DRINKS
▪ Bobaholic Cafe - bubble tea
▪ Cafesito con Ruby - Latin-inspired coffee
▪ Infinite Goodness - fresh juice
▪ Main Squeeze - fresh lemonade with myriad flavors
DESSERT
▪ Chill Paletas - fresh-fruit Caribbean ice pops
▪ Cut the Crêpe - Bretagne-style buckwheat (gluten-free) crêpes
▪ Hunny Bun Bakery - vegan treats
▪ Little Miss Sweets NYC - Puerto Rican and NYC specialties
▪ Mauka Shave Ice - Hawaiian shave ice
MERCADO
▪ Halmoni Kimchi - mother-daughter kimchi company based in Tacoma
▪ Hot Babe Hot Sauce -Trinidadian hot stuff
▪ Jammin On The One - jarred jam in flavors like ginger-peach and mango-habanero
▪ Tickle My Sweets - Mexican chamoy candies
SAVOR FEST TACOMA
▪ When: July 14, noon-5 p.m.
▪ Where: Mi Centro, 1208 S. 10th St. - lot and from L to M, Tacoma
▪ What to know: family-friendly, free to enter; live performances and kids corner, plus tons of food, drinks and treats
▪ Shaded seating available, follow instagram.com/savorfestpnw for updates
This story was originally published July 8, 2024 at 5:30 AM.