By: Charity Meier | Novi Note | Published August 20, 2025
NOVI — The fourth annual Novi Taco Fest will take over the parking lot at Twelve Mile Crossing at Fountain Walk between the Power House Gym and Chuck E. Cheese Aug. 22-24.
The Novi Taco Fest will have 40 food trucks from all over the metro Detroit area, at least 30 of which specialize in different types of tacos. There will also be some specialty taco trucks that offer a different spin on the concept of a taco. This includes barbecue tacos offered by Smoke Rattle & Roll, Thanksgiving-themed tacos with turkey and stuffing, sushi and Asian tacos offered by Spicy Bangkok, and Native American fry bread tacos offered by Peace, Love and Tacos.
Bart Loeb, whose wife, Karyn Stetz, coordinates the event, said the weather forecast is looking excellent for this weekend, and as they have already sold numerous tickets, he feels that the event should go as well as it has been planned.
“It looks like the weather is going to be perfect. She’s (Stetz) going to have a great weekend, and if she has a great weekend like I think she is going to have, she could have the biggest taco fest in Michigan,” Loeb said.
Along with the food trucks, the Novi Taco Fest will have a swarm of entertainment for all across two stages, including the ever-popular lucha libre wrestling, traditional dancing performed by the vibrant Ballet Folklorico Mexico Lindo dancers of Novi, a mariachi band, Latin jazz music by Damon Terrell, and the vocalistic stylings of C & G’s own Mark Reitenga. Reitenga will not only perform throughout the festival, but will also run one of the stages.
There will also be plenty of vendors and some local artisans, as well as activities available for children, such as face painting and several games.
“All of the food vendors are from the metro Detroit area and local, support local, and a lot of the taco trucks are Mexican American owned,” Stetz said. “All the dance troops are basically nonprofit organizations that we like to support, keeping cultural dance part of the community.”
There will also be several contests each day, including a pepper-eating contest, a taco-eating contest, and a cutest-dog contest. Attendees can enter the contests and potentially win a prize.
The festival began as an art fair with a taco theme. Stetz wanted to provide artists with a way to show off their work.
“People in the arts often cannot afford to market on their own, so if you kind of bring things together as a collective and market for them, then it helps to promote everyone,” she said.
However, the idea of a taco festival was so popular that it blossomed into its own entity.
“I asked a few different taco trucks to participate, and when that was posted, it got like 6,000 likes overnight, so it was a complete 180 turnaround, and it really turned into a taco fest, whether we wanted it to be or not. It just happened,” Stetz said. “There was so much interest overnight that it was moved to a bigger area, and within seven weeks it just transformed.
“Everyone likes them (tacos). I don’t really know anyone who doesn’t like them,’ Stetz said. “And even if you don’t like one kind of taco, there’s a different kind of taco.”
Although the event no longer includes an art fair, it still helps a lot of artists and provides work for many people.
“You’re not going to go into a bar and hear a mariachi band. So, it helps those groups gain some awareness and keep that style, that cultural style, going,” said Stetz.
“It’s super fun,” she said.
“I think it’s the funnest event in Michigan,” Loeb said. “Everyone loves tacos.”
Tickets can be purchased online at novitacofest.com for $7 or $10 at the gate. Members of the military and children get in free. Group and weekend packages are available online at novitacofest.com.