By Caelin Grambau, University of Pittsburgh English Writing & Spanish double major
The Pittsburgh Taco Festival is coming back to the Terminal in the Strip District! Festival goers can enjoy a variety of tacos and Latino foods from food trucks, stands and beyond.
While the event is based around celebrating (and eating!) tacos, the festival also aims to support and raise funds and awareness for the city’s Latino community.
The festival itself was founded in 2016 by Craig McCloud. McCloud wanted to create something that would combine the food trucks and food startups of Pittsburgh with the nonprofits that serve the Latin-American community in Pittsburgh, and so the Pittsburgh Taco Festival was born.
“We proudly partner with Pittsburgh Hispanic Development Corporation (PHDC) and the Latin American Cultural Union (LACU), because we wish to honor the culture responsible for what we consider the ‘greatest hand-food known to man.’ These organizations help us recruit vendors, organize entertainment, and provide authenticity to our taco-themed event. In turn they receive a generous percentage of the net proceeds.”
The Pittsburgh Taco Festival noted as a part of their mission to help raise awareness for Pittsburgh’s Latino community.
This year, their ever-growing list of vendors includes some of Pittsburgh’s finest. Cilantro y Ajo, Las Palmas Taqueria, and El Sabor are just a few of the wonderful vendors who will be selling food and refreshments throughout the day. For a still growing list of vendors, check out the Pittsburgh Taco Festival’s website.
There are three different tiers of tickets for this year’s festival, including the Taco Lover’s Gold Package, the Festival Fan Silver Package, and the festival’s general admission tickets.
The Taco Lover’s Gold Package, which is $50 per person, includes early admission at 11:30 am, a raffle ticket to win a Pittsburgh Taco Festival prize package with a value up to $500, a Koozie, and a festival poster and t-shirt.
The Festival Fan Silver Package gains access to the festival at 12:30 pm, as well as a raffle ticket, and festival t-shirt. Festival Fan Silver Package tickets are $24.99 per person.
General admission tickets are $9.99 and gain access to the festival at 12:30 pm, along with access to all the live music and entertainment, activities for both adults and children, and of course, access to more than 25 taco trucks and vendors!
The festival will be held in the Terminal at the Strip District, and the official address is 2101 Smallman Street, Pittsburgh, PA, 15222. To buy tickets, and for more information head to https://www.pghtacofest.com/.
