Taste of Tacoma

Food, Sunshine and Entertainment Draw Large Crowds to Taste of Tacoma®

Summer has finally arrived in Western Washington and more than 250,000 people spent the weekend in the sun at the Ultimate Family Picnic, the Emerald Queen Casino Taste of Tacoma® presented by Click! Cable TV.

This year’s Taste drew large crowds each day that devoured dishes from 29 restaurants along with a variety of other specialty foods and treats. The event showcased Hawaiian, American, Caribbean, classic barbecue, Greek cuisine and much more. Tacoma’s favorite restaurants were in attendance along with some new eateries that made their Taste debut. New participant and local restaurateur Asado received the 1st Place Entrée award with their Marinated Steak Skewer. Second place went to Crepe Tyme for a Chicken and Artichoke crepe and Pac Island Grill’s Combo Plate took third. Judges awarded Best Barbecue to Famous Dave’s Legendary Pit Bar-B-Que yet again after sampling their BBQ Ribs. Pac Island Grill was also a repeat winner in the Best Booth Design category, attracting large crowds with their Hawaiian-themed hut. Southern Kitchen’s Peach Cobbler claimed the Best Dessert title.

Visitors took advantage of the Pierce Transit Taste Express, which brought 16,182 guests to and from the park and TCC. According to Pierce Transit, a record number of buses were used for the Taste Express, and additional buses had to be added to other routes to transport crowds heading to Point Defiance Park.

Four music stages and the return of the Bacardi Comedy Club rounded out the weekend with non-stop entertainment that suited every taste. The always-popular Wine & Roses event in the Rose Garden successfully showcased nine wineries in support of the Greater Metro Parks Foundation. Kids and adults also spent time at the Funtastic Carnival, enjoying amusement rides and games.

Guests kept up their energy thanks to the 16,000 ZonePerfect Bars that were handed out. They also headed to the Emerald Queen Casino booth to try their luck, and 9,000 people had a great roll of the dice and won a variety of prizes. People also consumed truckloads of beverage samples, including Jamba Juice, Gold Peak Tea, Cascade Ice and more. Hot weather and thirsty people meant the Taste went through an incredible 44,000 pounds of ice over the weekend. Taste staff racked up the numbers as well, going through 64 bottles of sun block during the three-day event.

Point Defiance Park proved to be the perfect spot to spend the sunny weekend. Great food, entertainment, and a fun, family atmosphere filled the park at the 24th Taste of Tacoma®.