Featured image provided by ArtsQuest; Photograph by Lisa Boehm
BETHLEHEM, PA – Help ArtsQuest feed more than one million ‘festers!
As the nation’s largest free music festival gets ready to celebrate its 35th anniversary, Musikfest is seeking mouth-watering and show-stopping eats and treats from food vendors to pair with its 10 days of musical entertainment. The 2018 edition of Musikfest, which is presented by the nonprofit ArtsQuest, is scheduled for Aug. 3-12, and vendors interested in applying should do so by Jan. 26 at www.musikfest.org/applications.
For many ‘fest fans, Musikfest is a “music feast” where patrons pair the music of artists like Korean glam-rock band Ssing Ssing (performed in 2017) with food like Korean Short Rib Tacos from popular BBQ eatery Grumpy’s BBQ Roadhouse. Musikfest’s food options, which complement the theme of each festival venue, are the icing on the cake, with everything from Pennsylvania Dutch and German fare at Festplatz to the Caribbean, Mexican, Cuban and Puerto Rican menus at Plaza Tropical.
Joining longtime Musikfest vendors like The Bethlehem Dairy Store, Karl Ehmer and “Aw Shucks” Corn in recent years have been new crowd favorites including Philadelphia-based food truck Baby Blues BBQ, which appeared on the Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives;” Humpty’s Dumplings of Elkins Park, a Bonnaroo favorite; Chick n’ Cone, which was featured on the Cooking Channel’s “Carnival Eats” program and the beloved cheese steaks and pizzas of the iconic Hellertown Crossroads Hotel.
With more than 500 performances on 16 stages, Musikfest annually draws up to a million people or more. Last year, the festival set a new attendance record of 1.2 million and food vendors overall had their most successful year ever. Through a jury selection process, up to 60 food vendors are chosen to fill the Musikfest grounds, which stretch throughout North and South Bethlehem, creating a city within a city. While more than 80 percent of the vendors hail from Pennsylvania, participants from New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina and Florida have also made their way to the festival in recent years.
For more information on Musikfest and being a vendor at the festival, visit www.musikfest.org.
Information and image provided to TVL by:
Mark Demko, ArtsQuest
http://www.artsquest.org/
