North Carolina’s Largest Food Festival Is Taking Over Uptown Charlotte This Weekend


The 25th Annual Food Lion Taste of Charlotte food festival kicks off June 7th for a three-day weekend in Uptown Charlotte. The event, set up on S. Tryon Street from Trade to Brooklyn Village, is the Carolina’s largest food festival.

The festival offers family entertainment, unique shopping, live music, kid’s activities, and a wide array of beer and wine. More than 100 menu items from Charlotte’s hottest restaurants will be available for sampling.

This year, the festival features a cooking demo area, dueling pianos, dance showcases, and more. Admission is free, but food samples, kids’ activities, and beverages require festival coins. Coins can be purchased on the Taste of Charlotte Guest App and at coin booths along S. Tryon Street.

Festival highlights include:

  • Food and Drink: Over 100 menu items and a variety of local beers and wines.
  • Entertainment: Live music, cooking demos, and dance showcases.
  • Activities: Kid’s activities, rock climbing, face painting, and balloon twisting.
  • Unique Shopping: Local, regional, and national vendors offering information, coupons, and free samples.

Festival coins are used for all purchases, including food tastings and kids’ activities. A coin cup costs $20 and contains 14 coins. Coins can be bought at coin booths or via the Taste of Charlotte App.

Participating Restaurants and what they’re serving:

  • 5th Sin Wood Fired Kitchen: Bacon-wrapped steak, scallop, and chicken
  • 800 Degrees Latta Arcade: Honey badger pizza slice, Margherita pizza slice, meatball parm slider
  • A Little Taste of Chicago: Chicago dog, Chicago vegan style fries, breaded mild sauce tender
  • Aroma Indian Cuisine: Dosa, tikki masala, samosa
  • Barley and Burger: Rocky Balboa burger slider, All American burger slider, house-made chips
  • Basil Thai: Chicken green curry rice, chicken Bahn Mi, basil egg rolls
  • Biryani Pot: Biryani, tandoori chicken, chicken 65
  • Boujeesoulfood: Oxtail slider, collard green & lobster wontons, fried mac & cheese bite
  • CFT Bistro: Pork fried rice, sea red pea cake, blackberry lime margarita cake
  • City Barbeque: Brisket mac n’ cheese, smoked turkey slider, not a sloppy joe slider
  • Cuzzo’s Cuisine: Lobster mac ‘n cheese, handcut lemon pepper tenders, BBQ cauliflower
  • Dock Local: Street style blackened shrimp tacos, Old Bay crab nachos, elote style corn
  • Enat Ethiopian: Derek lamb tibs, red split lentil stew, beef sambusa
  • Hawkers Asian Street Food: Po Po Lo chicken curry, roti canai, twice-fried Korean wings
  • Hooters: Steamed shrimp, buffalo wing, fried pickles
  • Mama’s Caribbean Grill: Mama’s spice grilled chicken, curry chicken, Caribbean rice and peas
  • Mr3’s Crabpot: Garlic shrimp, Cajun crawfish, Mr.3’s garlic egg
  • Nathan’s Famous Hot Dogs & Bruster’s Ice Cream: Hot dog w/ chili toppings, hot dog plain, ice cream
  • Noom Yai: Pad Thai, marinated grilled pork, grilled chicken skewer
  • Piada Italian Street Food: Chicken avocado piada, veggie avocado piada, lemon kale Caesar salad
  • Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse: Creole burger slider, sweet potato canopies, tomato mozzarella skewer
  • Sabor Latin Street Grill: Chicken empanada, guava pineapple empanada, black bean empanada
  • Showmars: Mini pita burger, Mediterranean pasta salad, traditional baklava
  • Sizzle: Pork dumpling, chicken dumpling, sticky rice sesame pancake
  • State of Confusion: Planca chicken, chocotora cake, beignets
  • STIR: Crab cakes, spicy tuna bite, STIR chopped salad
  • Tacos Don Coyotl: Chicken quesadilla, quesabirria, tacos al pastor
  • The Smoke Pit: Slice of Texas brisket, wet spare rib, Texas pintos with jalapeno crema
  • Tupelo Honey Southern Kitchen & Bar: Shrimp and grits, chicken & waffle bites, heavenly banana pudding
  • VooDoo Wing Company: Buffalo chicken slider, loaded sidewinder fries, signature voodoo wing
  • Food Lion: Lemonade samples (while supplies last)
  • Renaissance Patisserie: French macaron (assorted flavors), petite mini croissant (butter, chocolate, or almond), mini kouign amann
  • Donut NV: Fruity Pebble donuts, cinnamon sugar donuts
  • Small Cakes Huntersville: Cupcake, cookie sandwich, brownie
  • Oh My Ganache, The Cheesecake Bar: Cheesecake with pie topping, cheesecake with sauce only topping, plain cheesecake
  • Golden Girls Funnel Cakes: Mini funnel cake w/chocolate, mini funnel cake w/caramel, mini funnel cake w/cinnamon sugar
  • Chocolate Moonshine: Chocolate covered pretzels, truffle bars, pecan turtles

Kid’s Activities Include:

  • Giant Slide, Radical Run Obstacle Course, Candy Land Bouncehouse, and more
  • Sunday is Family Fun Day with discounted wristbands for kids’ activities

The Best of the Taste Competition will award the Silver Plater to winning restaurants in categories like Best Entrée, Best Dessert, Most Unique Taste, and Healthy Choice Winner.

Here’s a video showing some of what you can expect this weekend:

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