LITTLE VILLAGE — The neighborhood's first-ever taco festival kicks off Friday with authentic taco gusto, according to the fest's organizer.
"These tacos are gonna be the authentic, South Side traditional tacos," said Fred Newton, one of the organizers for Festival Del Taco. "An event like this always draws the neighborhood kids and the families. It's a lot of family fun."
This is the inaugural year for the fest, which features live music, carnival rides and, of course, plenty of "stuffed tortillas," as Newton calls them.
Newtown said his fest will not be "a yuppie gourmet kind of thing."
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He also said it will be a far cry from Lakeview's Taco Fest, which launched last year and will be held again this year in September. The event largely featured restaurants on the North Side and boasted of tacos featuring "imaginative ingredients" like cactus and tacos with an Asian twist, among others.
"The two are like comparing apples and oranges. [Festival Del Taco] is gonna be a fraction of the cost of the North Side. It’s gonna be the real deal," he said.
Vendors at Festival Del Taco include La Mexicana Tortilleria, which specializes in pork carnitas, Juanita's Mexican Foods, which will be serving pambazos (chicken, pork, steak), and Taqueria la Ciudad, which will have beef tacos and chicken gorditas and enchiladas. Newton estimates the tacos will cost only around $1 or $2.
The Little Village fest, which benefits Good Shepherd Church, 2735 S. Kolin Ave., takes place this weekend at 26th Street and Kostner Avenue. Hours are 6-11 p.m. Friday, 3-10 p.m. Saturday and 3-9 p.m. Sunday from 3-9 p.m. Admission is free.
