New Discoveries at an Old Festival

By: Elizabeth Rees | May 06 2010
Posted in Find It - Marietta, GA

This past weekend marked an official opening of food festivals all over Georgia. Though the number of choices was a bit overwhelming, the Taste of Marietta is a great treat, because of its delicious evolution over the 17 years it's been held, into a true celebration of local food and flavor. As a kid growing up in the area, I remember that the Taste of Marietta used to be only half its current size and included arts and crafts to get more of the general public involved. It wasn't really much of a food festival at all, but times have changed.

Cucumber lemonade. Photo: Elizabeth Rees

A Foodie Block Party

Last weekend was a true foodie block party, thanks to the Food Network and the renaissance of the farm-to-table concept. This local restaurant showcase now attracts at least 70,000 visitors and covers the entire Historic Marietta Square with not only Cobb County restaurants, but also regional sponsors, entertainers, cooking demonstrators and children’s activities. The local shops on the Square, which are normally closed on Sundays, open up just for this event, for those who need a break from the activity.

Departure From the Norm

Taste of Marietta is not your usual food festival: admission is free and there's nary a tire-sized funnel cake or a greasy corndog to be found. The absence of tickets or tokens in favor of good, old-fashioned cash makes sampling simple (and so do the prices, ranging from 50 cents to four dollars). The Visitors Bureau provided a map of all participating vendors, and the participating restaurants had time to showcase what they were offering on the festival’s website.

I was not surprised to see the growth of local barbecue restaurants, but I was amazed to see the abundance of Brazilian vendors. Based on some of my samples, I'll be making a point of visiting some of them soon. My favorite discovery was cucumber lemonade from Aspens Signature Steaks. Not too green in color and just as refreshing.

Overall, I left quite impressed compared to past years. I never thought my hometown would become such a popular food destination in the southeast. Taste of Marietta is now a genuine expression of its local community through the love of its food.