The Ann Arbor Taco Fest took place Friday evening through Sunday at the Washtenaw Farm Council Grounds. The festival featured more than 30 taco trucks, stages with live music and dancing, lucha libre wrestling and a variety of contests for attendees to participate in.
The cultural festival is organized by the Art As Healing Foundation, which also hosts the Novi Taco Fest. The Novi festival began as a small addition to a local art fair in 2022, and drew about 20,000 visitors over three days during its second year, prompting an expansion to Ann Arbor.
One vendor, La Patrona Mexican Grill, is based in Lincoln Park, Mich. Kimberly Pineda — whose family has run the truck for more than four years — said in an interview with The Michigan Daily that her family puts its own spin on traditional Mexican street food.
“Where we’re from, it’s like street food mania,” Pineda said. “We’re from Tepito, and everything is street vendors. I think what makes us different is the fact that we’re from the city of Mexico. We’re definitely traditional, but anything that we offer is completely homemade with my mom’s spin on it.”
AMETacos, another family-run vendor, is based in Detroit, Mich. Chris Gonzalez Rivera told The Daily he began working full-time after graduating high school, as the family business — founded by his father 10 years ago — continued to expand.
“We started getting invited out to events like breweries and festivals,” Gonzalez Rivera said. “That’s when we purchased this (food truck) on the road. Everything we do is in-house and made from hand. The best part of being a vendor is the adrenaline. You’re nonstop all day, and that’s what I like about it.”
Selena Berry is the owner and founder of Selena’s Taqueria — a halal, women-run business based in Dearborn Heights, Mich. In an interview with The Daily, Berry said she feels her usage of Middle Eastern spices and from-scratch preparation distinguishes her from other vendors.
“I’m actually Lebanese, not Mexican,” Berry said. “So I include those spices into the meat I use, which is completely halal and a really good quality cut from Berry & Sons (Islamic Slaughter House) downtown. I make everything, with only my mother and sister helping run the truck. I love meeting all the new people by being a vendor at different festivals and events.”
A separate stage hosted eating contests several times a day throughout the duration of the festival. The taco contest measured how quickly competitors can finish five tacos, while the hot-pepper contest measured participants’ tolerance for heat from locally grown peppers. Additionally, a “cutest dog” contest ran throughout the weekend.
In an interview with The Daily, LSA rising sophomore Francis Galicia said his favorite aspects of the festival were the traditional food and authentic dances.
“I had the best torta while being there,” Galicia said. “I felt like it took me back in time to when I was eating at the local Mexican shop back home. The traditional dancers and music was so good — it even had me dancing.”
Daily Staff Reporter Angel Saade can be reached at angelsaa@umich.edu.
