Vaya, son muchos tacos!
Saturday, August 26 2023
Photo: Karubee’s Jamaican Restaurant in Charleston sizzling tortillas (Zebulon Pinson)
As summer in Huntington fades to fall, a new festival joins the ever growing lineup of annual events in a longstanding turnaround for Huntington’s pulse. Over 400 people and 12 venders descended upon Harris Riverfront Park today for the Inaugural Taco Fest. Taco stands aligned themselves along the Ohio River, peddling steaming tortillas filled to the brim with meats and vegetables. The rock climbing tower, omnipresent at most Huntington Area events, loomed over a flock of small businesses and carnival games dotting the field, including a mechanical bull.
Taco Fest was the brainchild of Bleu Young. The festival joins the ever-growing lineup of activities downtown. Festivals like the Hot Dog and BBQ festivals have dominated the riverfront thus far, and Taco Fest represents a new wave of post-lockdown revitalization and community building. Huntington has seen substantial cultural growth over the past few years, and many Huntington residents welcome the snowballing effect of local events. While West Virginia’s population shrinks due to the exodus of our younger generations, community events bolster a common identity and promote the idea that Huntington has “things to do,” a sentiment long opposed by the fleeting local youth. Due to the overwhelming success of Taco Fest, the prospect of orchestrating a massive success in Huntington now appears within-reach.
Play that Funky Taco – Even restaurants not typically geared towards making tacos got in on the fun. Karubees, a Jamaican joint in Charleston, joins Rocky Top Pizza in making fun tacos brandishing their own cuisine. From the Caribbean, oxtail and jerk chicken tacos, while Rocky Top kept it simple with a pizza taco. Mr. Young puts it simply, “There’s no parameters, everyone likes a taco.”
Ten competitors, one crowned victorious. Revelers rejoiced at the sight of tacos being shoved fistful by fistful into the mouths of competitors at Saturday’s Taco Fest. The champion relied on a strategy involving chewing three tacos at once, after which flushed down with water and ready to reload. The winner received a 75” TV from Aarons, a sponsor of the event.
