South Street Spring Festival adds ‘Philly Taco Challenge’ for 2016
Organizers behind the annual South Street Spring Festival have announced their restaurant roster for 2016, along with plans for a very special Philly Taco competition.
Organizers behind the annual South Street Spring Festival have announced their restaurant roster for 2016, along with plans for a very special Philly Taco competition.
The South Street Spring Festival returns Saturday, May 7, running from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Held outdoors along 12 blocks on South Street, the event is free to attend, and operates as a pay-as-you-go block party. Last year, 55,000 people were in attendance.
This year's festivities will feature the festival's first-ever "Philly Taco Challenge," which pits 20 contestants against one another to see who can down the legendary street food fastest. For the uninitiated, that means gobbling down a Jim's Steaks cheesesteak wrapped delicately in an enormous slice of pizza from Lorenzo & Sons.
The winner, however, will receive a year's worth of cheesesteaks and pizza. A $10 entry fee gets you in to compete, but it's limited to 20 contestants on a first-come, first-serve basis. Proceeds from the event will benefit local school lunch programs.
The competition will take place at 5 p.m. on the Fifth Street Stage. You can pre-register for the Philly Taco Challenge by emailing bill@southstreet.com.
The South Street Spring Festival will also feature more than 30 vendors with free samples, specials, street food, and more. The full lineup via a release is as follows:
Bistro Romano - truffle pecorino mac & cheese, roasted tomato topped with candied pork & bacon, zeppole (warm Sicilian doughnuts with cane sugar & raspberry sauce)
Boyler Room - fish tacos, roast pork sandwiches, chicken tenders, fruit salad, soda, beer
Brauhaus Schmitz - sausage sandwich, roast pork sandwich, sauerkraut, potato salad
Bridget Foy's - cheeseburger slider, bratwurst, draft beer, sangria, margaritas, strawberry lemonade
Cavanaugh's Headhouse - chicken fingers, mac & cheese, hot dogs
Chewy's - Burgers, chicken and waffles, sandwiches, more
Circles Thai - chicken satay, cheesesteak rolls, fried rice, pad thai
Copabanana/ Hurricane Alley - hamburgers, french fries, draft beer, margaritas
Cow & the Curd - cheese curds
Fat Tuesday - daiquiris
Gus' Food Cart - sandwiches
His & Hers Restaurant – lamb gyro and chicken gyro
Jerky Hut - Various flavors of beef jerky
Lil Pop Shop - ice-cream and non-dairy popsicles
Little Bird Bakery - soft pretzels, pizza-stuffed pretzel sticks
Lovash - Indian and Mexican specialties
Milkboy - chicken cheesesteaks
Mom Mom's Polish Food - pierogis and Polish specialties
Paddy Whacks Irish Sports Pub - beer
Primo Hoagies - grilled chicken sandwich, hot sausage sandwich, soft pretzels, soft drinks, beer, cocktails
Queen Village Food Market - frozen pineapple smoothies inside a real pineapple
Rita's - water ice
Say Cheese Philly - unexpected and gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches
St. Lucifer Spice - local made spices
Sweet Life Bakeshop - banana pudding, cupcakes, popcorn, bottled beverages
The Bacon Jams - spreadable bacon in a jar
Twisted Tail - hamburgers, sausage, corn on the cob, chicken skewers, grilled asparagus
Whetstone - hamburgers, tiki punch
Woodrow's Sandwiches - Woodrow's pork sandwich - aged provolone, broccoli rabe, long hot aioli
Wooly Mammoth - draft beer, margaritas
Brauhaus Schmitz will again host its own German Maifest within the festival, complete with maypole. Featuring German brews, roast pork, and Bavarian pretzels, the Maifest kicks off at 2 p.m. The schedule for Maifest is below:
2:00pm to 6:00pm HeimatKlange Live on Stage
2:00pm Ceremonial Keg Tapping
2:45pm Maitanz (Maypole Dance)
3:45pm Holzhacker (Chopping Wood Dance)
4:45pm Schuhplattler (Slapping Feet Dance)
If that's not enough, though, the South Street Spring Festival will also feature performances from more than 40 bands who will play across seven performance areas and three stages. Add in carnival games, local crafts for sale, and a family-friendly "Kids Zone," and there is something for everyone.
For more information, visit the official South Street site.