SPOKANE — Burgers, beers, and biryani filled the menu at the Crave Food Festival’s opening day at Riverfront Park, as the three-day celebration of the Inland Northwest’s culinary talent kicked off this weekend.
The festival transformed a portion of Riverfront Park into a culinary destination, bringing together independent restaurants, breweries, distilleries, and wineries under one roof. Attendees had the opportunity to sample diverse cuisines ranging from traditional comfort food to international flavors and dishes prepared over live fire.
“I’ve been to food festivals in different parts of the country and they kind of act as a catalyst to keep people here and show off independent restaurants that are doing really cool stuff,” said Adam Hegsted, Crave! co-founder. “You’re going to come here and be like ‘oh here’s a really good bite, oh my gosh here’s a really good bite too’. You are going to find all these new restaurants that are all independent.”
The festival’s three-day format allows visitors to experience different culinary styles throughout the weekend. Thursday night’s “Hoedown Showdown” emphasizes comfort food paired with country music. Friday night shifts the focus to international cuisines from around the world. Saturday’s “Fire and Smoke” theme highlights foods cooked over live coals and open flames.
“We have fifteen to twenty chefs every night and we have thirty other vendors…that’s brewers…distillers…tastemakers…wineries…all of those different people all under one roof and one ticket,” Hegsted said.
This variety allows attendees to explore Spokane’s restaurant scene without having to visit multiple locations on different nights.
Many of the vendors attending the festival will showcase their offerings across all three days, with custom offerings tailored to match each day’s theme. Michael Haig, a vendor at the event, explained the value of the festival for local businesses.
“Each day we are going to be showcasing a different one of the spirits we distill…and its just a great way to be out in downtown Spokane in the beautiful park and showcase our product,” Haig said.
For many local restaurateurs and business owners, the event serves as an opportunity to connect directly with the community. Haig emphasized the importance of allowing customers to experience products firsthand.
“You can advertise all you want but the best way to get people to buy your product is to actually get them to taste it…and so an opportunity like this is an opportunity for people to…sips to lips…they can actually try the product and see if they like it,” Haig said.
Festival-goers embraced the opportunity to step outside their usual dining preferences. Dylan Skelly, an attendee, sampled items beyond his typical choices.
“I really like this kimchi meatball that I just had…the mead is great as well, I’ve never had mead…so it’s something new and something exciting,” Skelly said. “I think the city of Spokane has a lot to offer so I’m really excited about this event.”
The festival menu included both familiar favorites and adventurous options.
Attendees and organizers emphasized that the festival reflects Spokane’s commitment to supporting its local business community.
Tickets are still available for this weekend’s events, and you can get yours at IntermountainPNW.org.
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