Northwest Taco Fest in May set to bring over 30 food trucks to Riverfront Park in Salem
The Northwest Taco Fest is coming to Riverfront Park in Salem on May 4 and will feature more than 30 food vendors offering tacos.
The new festival is organized by Dan and Chelsea Opfer along with a small team of volunteers and will also feature retail vendors, live music, children's activities and more.
The daylong event will run from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. the day before Cinco de Mayo.
Early bird general admission tickets are $12 for adults and $9 for seniors and veterans. Children under 10 are free with a paying adult.
The original idea was to have a few food trucks at Riverfront Park and festivalgoers would pay a fee for all you can eat tacos. That quickly changed once word got around and more businesses wanted to get involved, Dan said. It's now evolved to be a community event sharing the enthusiasm of enjoying tacos, he said. The event will be family and dog-friendly.
The festival is inspired by Dan's previous volunteering experience at food-themed festivals in San Diego, where the couple previously lived. This is the first festival the Opfers have put on themselves. Dan worked in cybersecurity for 15 years and only took on organizing the taco festival because he was laid off last year. Chelsea writes and sells at-home murder mystery party kits online. Dan wanted to create something he was passionate about, and began releasing info for the event on Facebook in January.
"This is an event for the community that love tacos and taco-themed things to get excited for tacos together," Dan said.
The event is partnering with the 2024 Walk ALS State Capitol, which is happening the same day, but on the other side of the park. Walk ALS participants will get free entry into the taco fest plus two tacos.
There are now multiple sponsors for the event and an official event hot sauce, Dan said. The festival's official sponsors, taco vendors, music lineup and more will be released in the coming weeks.
To get tickets and updates on the event, check out the Northwest Taco Fest's website, nwtacofestival.com, and Facebook page.
Em Chan covers food and dining at the Statesman Journal. You can reach her at echan@gannett.com and follow her on Twitter @catchuptoemily.
This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Northwest Taco Fest set for Riverfront Park in Salem, Oregon in May
