For generations, food festivals have offered cities a way to put local restaurants, businesses and community life on display. One of the best-known examples is Taste of Chicago, which debuted in 1980 after its organizers drew inspiration from a short-lived food event in New York City in the late 1970s.
East Grand Rapids has a smaller-scale version of the idea — and one with a distinctly local twist.
The annual Taste of East returns Wednesday, Aug. 19, bringing restaurants, retailers, artisans and neighbors together along Wealthy Street in Gaslight Village. The event runs from 5 to 8 p.m. and, perhaps more than anything, is an opportunity to experience the area’s social district in action.
Wealthy Street, between Lakeside Drive and Croswell Avenue, will be transformed into an evening gathering place, with restaurant booths offering samples of food, beverages and desserts. Live entertainment will be featured near Regatta Plaza, while yard games and other activities give families a reason to stick around.
The event also will showcase local retailers and artisans, with participating businesses offering special sales and handmade goods.
Food, beverage and activity tickets cost $1 each, with most offerings requiring three to five tickets. A portion of ticket proceeds will benefit a local charity and participating businesses.
This year’s participating businesses and organizations include Big Bob’s Pizza, Pera Pizzeria, The Dental House, Style Restoration, Olives Restaurant, Jyoti’s Kitchen, SpartanNash/D&W, StretchLab EGR, Kilwins, Bagel Kitchen, Shared: CoworkingEGR, Bowdie’s Chophouse, Jets Pizza, Molly’s Cafe & Deli, Carolina Lowcountry Kitchen, Jose’s Village Social and Kent District Library.
The social district component is particularly fitting for an event built around sampling and lingering. Rather than treating the festival as simply a collection of food booths, Taste of East creates a common space where residents can move among businesses, grab a bite, enjoy a beverage, shop and spend the evening together.
And unlike a trip to Chicago for the city’s considerably larger festival, the East Grand Rapids version doesn’t require navigating the Chicago traffic or paying big-city parking prices.
Taste of East
When: 5-8 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 19
Where: Wealthy Street in Gaslight Village, between Lakeside Drive and Croswell Avenue
Tickets: $1 each; most food and activities require three to five tickets
The event is sponsored by Genisys Credit Union, Greenridge Realty, Friends of the East Grand Rapids Library, Edward Jones – Chad Zagel, Zylstra Door, D&W Fresh Market, Grapids Heating & Cooling and All Weather Seal.
