What were you doing on Saturday, June 18? You could find me at Taco Libre. You’ve never heard of it? That’s because Taco Libre is the state of Alabama’s first ever taco festival! Do I even have to say anything else? For someone like me who has an unimaginable love for food, this is huge.
News of the Montgomery Taco Libre was released in March and since then 1.2 thousand Facebookers have agreed to be in attendance, along with 1.9 thousand users who said they are interested in the event. The festivities took place at the Montgomery Union Station Train Shed from 4-8 p.m. This event was a spin-off of last year’s “MGM Burger Bash” in a big way. There was a wide assortment of tacos from local restaurants, such as El Rey and Dreamland, as well as food trucks from all over the state. As if that isn’t enough, there was also a large contingency of Alabama’s breweries present to offer up their best beers. Some of the many breweries that made an appearance included Rocket Republic Brewing Company, Black Warrior Brewing Company, and Blue Pants Brewery. The list of restaurants and breweries that participated grow daily and it appears that Lightning Line, a local event creation and promotion company, still have many more exciting additions coming in the final days.
However, the best part is that our money went toward a good, local cause. A portion of the proceeds were given to EAT South, a non-profit organization located in Downtown Montgomery that “promotes the principles of food justice through education and sustainable farming.” EAT South aims to transform our local food systems through community-led programs.
The price of admission was 25 dollars with a fee of $2.37. This payment allowed the withholder to purchase five tacos, available food items, or beers. In coordination with the Mexican-theme, tickets that were for purchase were dubbed “pesos” and additional “pesos” could be purchased at the event for those who do not feel as if they can cause enough damage with five. If you wanted to experience more, you could upgrade your ticket to the “VIP Ticket” and add a Taco Libre shirt, VIP drinking cup, and numerous other perks including El Rey’s margaritas and queso and access to VIP areas and premium beer taps for the price of 75 dollars. No matter which path you chose to take, children 4-12 undoubtedly enjoyed the usage of three pesos at the discounted rate of fifteen dollars. Kids under the age of 4 are, of course, were free as they were not expected to eat an enormous amount of tacos. If you’re interested in keeping up, with things like the Taco Libre event go and like their Facebook page, The LightningLineMGM , or follow the TacoLibre Instagram account.
For all of the people who complain that there is nothing to do in Montgomery, you just aren’t looking in the right places. Hope you enjoyed the event and I will see you other occasion in the future.
By Kalen Huggins