Saint Paul, MN (Top40 Charts/ Taste Of Minnesota) - Guests to the 2010 Taste of Minnesota at St. Paul's Harriet Island will notice a big transformation including unique culinary experiences, a greater emphasis on family-friendly activities, and a diverse musical lineup featuring more than 100 hours of everything from eclectic indie to good old rock and roll.
"This year's Taste of Minnesota is going to be unlike any other because we have made a commitment to improving each and every aspect of the festival to offer top-notch food, more live music throughout the day and a large selection of family-friendly activities," said Andy Faris, co-owner and managing partner of Taste of Minnesota. "Our unique lineup has something for everyone, and we think Minnesotans will be thrilled with the variety and quality of what the new Taste of Minnesota will offer."
The 28th Taste of Minnesota celebration takes place July 2 - 5 on St. Paul's Harriet Island Regional Park along the banks of the Mississippi River. "I commend the new owners and management team of Taste of Minnesota for reinvigorating a historic Minnesota celebration and for putting together a one-of-a-kind high quality festival," said St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman. "It doesn't get any better than celebrating our Independence Day holiday weekend with more than 100 hours of live music, great food and family-fun activities along the Mississippi Riverfront."
More Music More Often
This year's Taste of Minnesota will offer an unprecedented lineup of more than 100 hours of live performances on five separate music stages. This year's Main Stage will feature a diverse musical lineup presented by local radio stations. Daily highlights on the Main Stage include:
Friday, July 2 - TBA presented by 89.3 The Current
Saturday, July 3 - Sammy Hagar, Lou Gramm, and John Waite presented by KQRS
Sunday, July 4 - Counting Crows, NeedToBreathe, and Gin Blossoms presented by Cities 97
Monday, July 5 - 311 and The Offspring with special guest Pepper presented by 93X
Taste will also have The Big Music Tent which will feature live music starting at 11 a.m. every day and will include national and international acts and everything from Americana to Indie and Reggae to Blues - artists such as Dawes, James Hunter, Justin Towns Earle, Otis Clay and many more.
In addition, local radio station KFAI and Red House Records, a Grammy-winning independent label that produces, distributes and promotes the finest folk, Americana, acoustic blues and bluegrass recordings will feature more than 24 musical acts over the four days from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on their own stage along the Riverfront.
More To Tantalize Tastebuds
Foodies and festival goers looking for more dining options will be able to choose from a wide variety of diverse and quality food offerings from sugarcane skewered tequila shrimp, mahi mahi tacos, crab empanadas and wood fired pizzas to soba noodles, the Juicy Lucy and boiled peanuts just to name a few. More than twice as many restaurants have signed on to tantalize tastebuds at this year's event including CRAVE, Barrio, Seven, the 5-8 Club, Bennett's Chop and Railhouse and Holy Land. In addition to hosting booths, many chefs along with local media celebrities will be doing live cooking demonstrations.
BT's Party in the Park
Cities 97's Brian Turner (BT) will present a new concept at Taste combining Minnesota's chief summer pleasures: food, music and outdoor relaxation. BT, an avid foodie and entrepreneur, is mixing his twin passions for food and music into a one-of-a-kind entertainment experience into BT's Party in the Park, where local celebrities and chefs from around the country will put on cooking demonstrations while local musicians perform in this new tent. Food University will also bring in national chefs to perform demonstrations including sessions on Manfood 101, Family Style Italian, Easy Healthy Meals and more.
Family Entertainment Village
Families will find a plethora of entertainment and activities in this year's Family Entertainment Village. NBA Nation will bring in three giant sports courts along with NBA stars who will challenge kids to get active and have fun on the court. Families also will find everything from a mobile skate board park with semi pro skateboard demonstrations and Circus Juventas performances to music, games, art activities, storytelling, ballet performances, hands-on educational seminars and more.
In a shift from previous years, Taste will only feature fireworks on July 4th with a memorial tribute to former Taste organizer Ron Maddox.
Tickets will be available for $20 in advance. Day-of show tickets will be $20 from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m., and $30 from 4 p.m. until the festival closes at 11 p.m. Kids 12 and under will get in free with a paid adult. Veterans and seniors 65+ get in free. VIP tickets are available for $100 and include a VIP Pavilion and complimentary food and beverages. Tickets will be available at www.tasteofmn.com beginning May 7, 2010. In addition, Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota will be this year's nonprofit partner for Taste of Minnesota. One percent of ticket sales will go to the hospital to support important initiatives such as Children's Integrative Medicine Program and financial aid for parents who need assistance. The hospital will host a booth at the Taste of Minnesota.
"We're looking forward to sharing our vision for the summer's biggest party with the rest of Minnesota," Faris said. "It's going to be the event of the summer you won't want to miss."
The new ownership team which includes Faris, Terry Moore and Dan Hare, brought in veteran event management team Kevin and Andie Campbell along with a crew of event and production specialists to produce this year's Taste. For more information, please visit www.tasteofmn.com.
