Filling your belly at Folk Fest

Vendors offer local, organic, fair trade eats

Photo by Sean McGillvray

When you’re dancing in hippy bliss to the smooth sounds of performers from around the world, you’re going to need some grub to keep your stomach smiling.

This year’s Winnipeg Folk Festival is sporting 28 food vendors who share a common principle: LOFT, which stands for local, organic, and fair trade.

Folk Fest places a priority on working with LOFT partners, says Lynne Skromeda, executive director of the festival. Chocolatier Constance Popp, Diversity Food Services, Green Bean Coffee Imports, Forbidden Flavours, and Whales Tails (a festival tradition similar to beaver tails) will all be using fair trade products to feed festivalgoers.

New to the festival this year are vendors Burrito Splendido, Mr. Perogie, Corrientes (a restaurant listed under the Winnipeg Free Press’ Best restaurants of 2012), and Diversity Food Services.

Diversity Food Services will be running two booths at Folk Fest: one for public access, as well as a second backstage for volunteers and performers.

Diversity Food Services executive chef Ben Kramer says the team is excited to bring their take on fresh local food to the masses at Folk Fest. Kramer is active in fundraising events throughout the city, including the Stone Soup event last March.

Classic vendor favourites, such as Lemon Heaven and Santa Lucia, are ready to satisfy your hunger pangs. Be sure not to throw your Lemon Heaven cups in the trash – they’re compostable.

With last year’s new food vendor setup, the Serpentine (a snake-shaped row of food vendors), securing your dish is a breeze. The new format allows for easier menu-viewing and rids the need to cut through food lines to get to the main stage, something that was common with the previous system, says Skromeda.

Campground-goers will enjoy the food-truck style food in the campground from Food for Folks, Jonnies Sticky Buns, The Red Ember, Thom Bargen Coffee and Tea, and Vilai’s Spice Box.

Be sure to come hungry to Folk Fest 2014; there’s a food vendor for everyone.

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