In your opinion, what makes a great festival food program?

[bobchella]

I'm doing research for what makes for a great festival food program and wondered if anyone else had anything to add to a few facets i've found important.

A great festival food program should have....
Variety in cuisines
Quick service
A few focused items per kiosk
Nothing too heavy, rich, or cheesey
Frozen drinks/Smoothies
Items appropriate for the expected weather/complexities of outdoor food prep & service

Can anyone point out anything i may have missed thanks!

[bobchella]

Also, reasonable prices

[Courtney]

-reasonable price point
-quality ingredients
-options that highlight local businesses and food regional specialties

Bonus points if they get somebody cool to curate the food choices.

[chairmenmeow47]

a d e q u a t e

s p a c e

[Boourns]

No such thing as too cheesy

[bobchella]

No such thing as too cheesy

Ha. Truth

[eureka]

Austin City Limits has the best eats out of any festival I have ever been to!
http://www.aclfestival.com/experience/food/
http://thetastingbuds.com/2009/10/au...-mini-roundup/
All items are delivered and sold by local Austin restaurants.
Lines for the most popular stuff got long at times, but if you were in a hurry you could always find something fast and tasty.
Quality was great and prices were reasonable.

[bobchella]

Thanks Nomdekt!

[bobchella]

although i'm afraid that second link is broken

[unknown]

I had my first taste at UK fest food last year and WOW it was delicious. I would say variety is key - not only in the types of food that are offered overall but at each vendor. One of the most delicious items I tried was a smoothie made fresh with pineapple and mint. Also, the savory crepe for breakfast (freshly made with cheese and onions). So many options from Indian to Thai to Greek to Italian. A good sized portion is always nice! Oh and the paella I tried was bomb.

[PrettyRagdoll]

Does it look like it will send me running for the portos? = Don't eat it.
Price-to-food ratio
Does it smell/look good

[gaypalmsprings]

burgerittos

[Boourns]

I had my first taste at UK fest food last year and WOW it was delicious. I would say variety is key - not only in the types of food that are offered overall but at each vendor. One of the most delicious items I tried was a smoothie made fresh with pineapple and mint. Also, the savory crepe for breakfast (freshly made with cheese and onions). So many options from Indian to Thai to Greek to Italian. A good sized portion is always nice! Oh and the paella I tried was bomb.

Oh hell yes.





I am going to miss these, especially with there being no Glastonbury next year. I wonder how the food is at Primavera.

The best Coachella food I had was in 06-08.

[Runlinds]

VEGAN+VEGETARIAN food PLEASE!! I don't feel like eating heavy shit that makes me feel like ass when I'm trying to have energy to walk in heat.

[bigbolton]

Aside from the food at New Orleans Jazzfest being incredible, I always appreciated the ability to purchase a half or whole portion from just about any of the food vendors there. It makes it far easier (financially) to try more than one thing, and also to snack throughout the day. That one option makes the whole experience more fun.

[bobchella]

Interesting!

[socalguy100]

Nothing that's messy to eat.

[bobchella]

Anyone else have any insight? I'm trying to wrap up my research today!

[PlayaDelWes]

It's not a festival unless they've got a prime steakhouse

[bobchella]

Wow, Nice! What did they have? Steak sandwiches? Filets?

[PlayaDelWes]

Steak sandwiches.

OK, since you're light on content, here's my 2 cents on what makes a good food program.

• Variety
• Even more important than variety is capacity. Lines should not be a burden.
• Food in multiple locations.
• Water everywhere and respectfully priced.
• Lots of places to sit down and eat (fenced off areas around the food courts to direct people who are not eating to remain outside of the food court, yet ability to be entertained while you eat)
• Trash cans that are emptied often.

[bobchella]

Thank You!!! Great stuff!!!

[bigbolton]

Minimal packaging/wrapping. The more of these big events I go to, the more the waste depresses me. Soup in a bread bowl = win. A pita/tortilla wrapper that needs just a small piece of paper around it = win. Biodegradable utensils = win. We all have to get on the same page with this and insist that events like Coachella do everything they can to reduce their environmental impacts.

[elbrycen]

reducing environmental impact is expensive... i would rather pay a little less for my food and make your grandkids pay for it.

[Stickjohn]

Aside from the food at New Orleans Jazzfest being incredible, I always appreciated the ability to purchase a half or whole portion from just about any of the food vendors there. It makes it far easier (financially) to try more than one thing, and also to snack throughout the day. That one option makes the whole experience more fun.

+1 This helps with decision making

[bobchella]

Thanks for all the great insight friends! Great stuff

[davrone]

Pizza. Lots of it.

[Gigger]

Good Mexican.