Welcome!

  Welcome to the

24th Annual Taste of Kalamazoo Festival

July 23 - July 25, 2009

Arcadia Creek Festival Place in Downtown Kalamazoo, 145 E. Water Street
Cuisine from over 30 restaurants!
Activities for the entire family! Live entertainment! 

Every year, on the fourth weekend of July, thousands of hungry festival-goers flock to downtown Kalamazoo to enjoy the endless variety of foods prepared by Kalamazoo's most popular eateries. More than 30 local restaurants and chefs will offer mouth-watering combinations of ethnic items, family favorites, exotic dishes, and local specialties, attracting and feeding an average of 10,000 people per day in downtown Kalamazoo and totaling 25,000 - 30,000 attendees over the entire weekend.

Food, drinks, beer, and wine are available by the purchase of tickets, each costing $.50 for items usually priced between three and eight tickets. Great emphasis must be placed on the available variety and quality of fare. You will not see your typical carnival food concession trailers. Don't misunderstand us - we all love a good, old-fashioned elephant ear, but this is not the place. Here you will find food from Africa, China, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Caribbean, and all points in between. As far as beverages go, you'll encounter the best variety anywhere - from "beer garden microbrews" to Budweiser. You will find wine bars overflowing with the products of nearby local wineries as well as top-shelf liquor bars stocked with Captain Morgan, Cuervo, Tanqueray, and Smirnoff. We also offer an extensive list of non-alcoholic beverages including delicious smoothies, healthy juices, and refreshing Coca-Cola products. What we're trying to say is this: "You won't want to miss the Taste of Kalamazoo!"

For entertainment, the live music line-up runs all day and ranges from emerging local talent to well-known regional and national headliners presented outdoors under blue skies and beautiful sunshine. Additionally, informational booths and family-oriented activities are available for the entire family from 11am throughout most of the day. When the stagelights come up at dusk, the festival site transforms - becoming the throbbing heart of a vibrantly alive downtown district, audible from far away and memorable to all in attendance.

• Admission to the Taste of Kalamazoo is FREE before 4pm, $5.00 from 4pm-7pm, and $8.00 after 7pm.
  

• Gates open at 11:00am and close at 12:30am of Thursday night and 1:30am of Friday and Saturday nights.

• Food and beverage tickets are priced at $.50 each with items ranging in price from $.50 to $4.00.

• Children 12 years old and under attend for free.

• The Taste of Kalamazoo is graciously hosted by the Kalamazoo Jaycees. 

Host and Primary Beneficiary