Photojournal: Taco Fest Montréal 2019

Mexican hat not required, but highly recommended

Heavy rain could not halt Taco Fest Montreal on a Labour Day. Among the vendors included Dope as Duck, who served Mexican cuisine inspired poutine and tacos with duck meat, Mula, serving chicken quesadillas and pulled pork tacos, and Kwizinn, serving chicken empanadas and burgers topped with guacamole. Last but not least, one could not end the festival with a visit to Papi Churros, featuring coconut churros and ice cream.

Taco Fest Montreal 2019. Photo credit: T. A. Wellington.
Taco Fest Montreal 2019. Photo credit: T. A. Wellington.

What started as a slow start in the morning quickly became long lines in the early afternoon. Waiting in the rain was the most difficult part of the Taco Fest, with waiting times for more popular venues clocking in at twenty minutes or more. However, waiting time was abated with the talented live band who sang favourite songs such as “La Bamba” and the (most decidedly not-Mexican) Beatles song “Twist and Shout”. Staff were on hand to teach participants salsa, meringue and cha-cha as they danced holding umbrellas, à la “Singing in the Rain”.

Taco Fest Montreal 2019. Photo credit: T. A. Wellington.
Taco Fest Montreal 2019. Photo credit: T. A. Wellington.

With the tequila and the sangria freely flowing, this event was for the eighteen and over crowd, with the need to purchase entry passes beforehand as well as bring proof of ID. Food was purchased with a handy token system, tokens being purchased either before hand or on-site, with food costing between two and four tokens (about four to eight dollars, each token being roughly two dollars). A quick comparison showed that the chicken quesadilla was better than the mushroom bean taco, but that is up to the taster themselves. As the afternoon went by, the sun slowly came up to the sound of the DJ playing the latest hits: another Montréal food festival done well.

Taco Fest Montreal took place between August 31 and September 2.