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Strolling mariachi bands will entertain guests.
Photo provided by Novi Taco Fest and Novi Fine Art Fair
The work of Clay Crafton is just a sample of the art that will be found Aug. 26-28.
Photo provided by Novi Taco Fest and Novi Fine Art Fair
NOVI — As summer is winding down, the city of Novi is gearing up for the Taco Fest and Fine Art Fair.
The three-day event will take place this weekend, Aug. 26-28, at Twelve Mile Crossing at Fountain Walk, 44425 W. 12 Mile Road, near Emagine Theatre. The festival will include taco trucks, live music and entertainment for the entire family, along with award-winning artists from across the Midwest.
“Spend your weekend with fine dining and fine art, all in one!” Taco Fest organizers said in a press release.
The event will feature: strolling mariachi bands, three stages with entertainment, signature Mexican dishes and desserts, taco and hot pepper eating contests, cutest dog contests, Lucha Libre wrestling, lawn games, authentic margaritas and tequilas, dance lessons from professional salsa and merengue instructors, cultural dance performances, and a vast variety of tequilas and sauces. Event attendees will also be able to vote for Michigan’s best taco.
“People love tacos. I love tacos. There are many different styles. There’s chicken tacos, seafood tacos, vegetarian tacos, cheesecake tacos. There’s all kinds of different ways for that to be prepared and satisfy a lot of different tastes,” said Karyn Stetz, executive director of the Art as Healing Foundation, in Ypsilanti, which is organizing the event, on why they chose to have a taco festival with the art show. The foundation is a nonprofit that promotes visual arts and artists through a variety of exhibitions, fairs and competitions.
The Taco Fest was meant to provide a food element for the Novi Fine Art Fair, but became an event itself because of the large amount of interest. Stetz said she has been putting the event together since the beginning of the year, and when they announced the Taco Fest, it just “exploded” with interest from the public. She said overnight there were around 6,000 people interested. She said organizers really had to gear up and prepare for the tremendous amount of interest in the Taco Fest.
The Novi Fine Art fair is a juried art fair. Over 40 artists will be selling their one-of-a-kind, handmade items.
“These fine works of art cannot be purchased in corporate stores or on Amazon. Support small creative artists’ businesses whose works are a labor of love,” event organizers said in a press release.
The event will take place 4-11 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Saturday, and noon-8 p.m. Sunday. Admission costs $5 per person or $10 for a three-day pass if purchased in advance. At the door, tickets will cost $10. There is no charge for parking. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit novitacofest.com.
