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Taste of Minnesota: Feast and fest

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Taste of Minnesota: Feast and fest

Richard Sennott, Star Tribune

Workers finished work on a ride at the Taste of Minnesota festival, which opens today at Harriet Park in St. Paul. The annual event is under new ownership and will charge admission, in exchange for food and drink tickets. The emphasis is switching to contemporary music and family entertainment.

Planners and vendors hope the changes at this year's Taste of Minnesota will give the annual food and music festival a little extra boost.

By CHRIS HAVENS, Star Tribune

Last update: July 1, 2009 - 10:51 PM

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Under a cloudy sky and amid the clanging of tools and flapping of flags, Roger Lund put together his booth Wednesday in preparation for the Taste of Minnesota.

It's his first time hawking frozen Jolly Rancher drinks at the four-day music-and-food event, which has new owners who are changing things up. Lund likes what he sees, so far.

"They're trying to spin a new image," he said. "If it's what we're hoping it is, we'll definitely be back next year."

The biggest change visitors will notice is an admission charge for most people starting at 3 p.m. each day. The $10 fee will be given back in food and drink tickets upon entering. Before 3 p.m. each day, the event is free, and people can stay as long as they want.

The festival begins its 27th year today and runs through Sunday on Harriet Island, across the Mississippi River from downtown St. Paul.

The new Taste owners hope the admission charge won't diminish the appetite of festival-goers, but it is intended to keep riffraff out.

There have been fights and other violent incidents at the festival in past years, and the new owners wanted to improve security.

"We tried to make it as reasonable as possible," said Dan Hare, a co-owner and managing partner. He, along with Andy Faris and Terry Moore, make up the ownership team, and their company is called International Event Management.

They bought the festival from Capital City partnership late last year and are trying to update the musical acts, broaden the food offerings and create a more "festival-like atmosphere," Hare said. Organizers are expecting between 35,000 and 50,000 people each day.

"We want people to walk in and say, 'This is different. This is new and improved,'" he said.

The sound system is new. The JumboTron is new. A tented area with tap beer and a stage is new.

There's an expanded children's area with bouncy houses, rides, a petting zoo, pony rides and special stage. Street performers, some from the Renaissance Festival and Cirque du Soleil, will wander the grounds.

Adults will be able to get beer for $4, and nearly every food vendor will have at least one item for $2.

A pork chop on a stick costs $6 from Ken Dufour and Matthew Mann, who were working on their booth Wednesday. They sold 10,000 chops last year.

This will be their 15th year at the event, and they're curious about the changes, too.

Do they expect to sell more food because more people will have tickets in their hands from the admission price?

"We don't think it will hurt us or help us," Dufour said.

Aaron Huotari, kitchen manager at the 5-8 Club in Maplewood, had a different take while he was setting up. "If people have tickets in their hand, they'll spend them freely," he said.

Chris Havens • 612-673-4148

IF YOU GO

What: Taste of Minnesota

Where: Harriet Island, St. Paul

When: Noon to 10:40 p.m. today through Sunday. Fireworks start at 10 p.m.

New this year: After 3 p.m. daily, visitors 12-54 years old will need to pay a $10 admission fee and in return will be given $10 worth of food/drink tickets. Those older than 54 will pay $5 and get $5 in food/drink tickets, and kids 11 and younger are free with a paying adult.

Online: www.tasteofmn.com

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