A popular showcase of food and drink returns next month to Fort Macleod’s historic Main Street.
Taste of Fort Macleod will run from 5-9 p.m. Sept. 1, providing guests with the chance to sample products sold by area businesses and producers.
“After a two-year pandemic hiatus, the Taste of Fort Macleod returns stronger, accessible, and more vibrant than before,” said Josh Beusekom of event host Fort Macleod Chamber of Commerce.
Taste of Fort Macleod, which in the past has been held at venues such as Urban Core, the Fort Museum and the arena, was cancelled the past two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Our hope is that we bring the community back after two years of being unable to come together because of COVID,” Chamber president John Gulliker said. “Taste will also show people what local businesses they can support. Having it downtown really brings in the community feeling and historical ambience.”
Main Street will be closed to vehicle traffic between Second and Third avenues, with vendors at booths offering savoury dishes, desserts, cocktails, wine, beer, and much more.
There will also be a barbecue cookoff featuring competition between local entries.
Structural Truss-Forma Steel Avail CPA, LF Truck Centre and Beusekom Farms have entered teams in the cookoff, but there is room for more competitors.
“This year’s Taste has been reimagined in structure to make it more accessible and broader in focus,” Beusekom said. “By moving the event to Main Street and creating a designated alcohol area, the event is able to increase attendance capacity and inclusiveness.”
Guliker said Taste of Fort Macleod is designed to support local businesses, especially those in the food industry which was hit hard during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We are very excited to be able to organize without COVID,” Guliker said. “By being a vendor, you’re letting the public know more about your product and services. There are a lot of vendors who have signed up already that I didn’t know what they all offered to begin with.”
Vendors that have registered so far include MA Catering, Italian Table, My Oma Always Canning Co., Digbee’s Diner, Next Home and Garden, Stronghold Brewery, Privot Spirits, Cypress Hills Coffee, Horizon Herbs, Dutch Grill and Homestead Bakeshop.
The admission fee provides guests with tickets that can be redeemed at the vendors’s booth, with more tickets available during the event.
“As a guest you help in many different ways by tasting their product and discovering what our community offers,” Guliker said. “Guests are also able to vote on the people’s choice award for which product that they liked the best.”
Vendors are urged to register by Wednesday, Aug. 18 in order to take maximum advantage of the Chamber’s marketing of Taste of Fort Macleod.
Tickets, which are $40 until the day of the event, are available on-line through Eventbrite or at Next Home and Garden, Crazy Stitch, Macleod Living, and Stronghold Brewery.
Recovering from the two-year pandemic absence has not been without its challenges for the Chamber of Commerce.
“There was a close possibility of the event being cancelled, but at this point we have got a very good line-up of vendors and cook off teams,” Guliker said. “We also have cleared 100 ticket sales and are well on our way to a hopefully sold-out event.”
The Chamber of Commerce is offering sponsorship opportunities for businesses that would like to support the event but don’t have a way to be a vendor or in the cook-off.
So far, Gold level sponsors are Mountain View Precast, Scougall Motors and John Guliker Team; silver level sponsors are Fort Macleod Agencies and Wall2Wall; and bronze level sponsors are Real Estate Centre and Xtra Electric.
“We have sold out of the gold, but we have a number of spots left in the silver and we have a full lineup available for bronze,” Guliker said.
The Chamber of Commerce is optimistic the 2022 Taste of Fort Macleod will be the best version of the event to date.
There are still vendors who are working on their applications so our commitment is for a larger and better event than in the past,” Beusekom said. “Vendors are excited to relaunch after a hard couple years and we are happy to provide that platform.”
To become a sponsor or vendor at Taste of Fort Macleod, contact John Guliker at 403-330-4864 or Josh Beusekom at 403-715-6354.
