Foodie Fest gives people a taste of downtown eats experience

By Ry Clarke on July 27, 2022.

Herald photo by RY CLARKE Herald Photo by Ry Clarke Food Fest! offers residences a chance to try out local restaurants in the downtown core, taking place the last Tuesday of every month. Many local restaurants were handing out free samples to prospective patrons showcasing their food.

Foodie Fest! graced the streets Tuesday afternoon running from noon until 8 p.m. in downtown Lethbridge, featuring food trucks and free samples from participating restaurants in the downtown core with late night shopping enticing patrons.

The event takes place the last Tuesday of every month, exploring the exciting and delicious food scene in the city with lineups of food trucks decorating the Galt Gardens south parking area.

“It’s been good, we’ve definitely seen a lot of people come out. I’ve been surprised how much foot traffic it has produced. We weren’t expecting it to be so busy,” said Jen Wilde, food truck manager for Hickory Street. “There’s a ton of people. The first one that we did we were blown away. We sold out a couple hours early, because we just weren’t anticipating that much. Which is a great surprise. We’ve come more prepared since then. It’s been great to see people downtown. They’ve come with their families, coworkers, and it’s just fun to see all the food trucks together like this.”

Food trucks like Jerrys Pop Shop and Jackies Kitchen were parked along Galt Gardens offering patrons a variety of choices as they passed by on their lunch breaks.

“We came last month for the first time, it’s the last Tuesday of every month, and it was really good. The weather is nice and people are friendly. Last time we were here we sold out, so I was shocked. Plus, Lethbridge has a good food truck community and it’s nice to see everyone here,” said Matthis Vruelheyde, a cook at Vesano Pizza.

Local restaurants like Tacos Made in Mexico and Taro Noodle House offered free samples in their establishments to showcase to patrons the food they offer and giving them a taste of what they can enjoy.

Shops in the area were also open until 8 p.m., hoping to highlight their wares in the downtown area with big sales and author readings to give shoppers a different experience from what they are used to.