Food trucks line Pidemont Park
About a thousand people descended on Piedmont Park with picnic blankets, umbrellas and chairs, ready for Piedmont Food Fest, a day of multicultural food and amazing music. Starting with mariachi duo Son Nuestro. Followed by the Great Wall Youth Orchestra. Food trucks like Bonito Poke, La Santa Torta, Kiss My Boba, Curry Up Now, 3 Brothers Kitchen and Swahili Spot all had long lines of hungry people.
Piedmont city council member Jen Cavanaugh and Piedmont school board member Cory Smegal were there to check people in.
“Oh my,” exclaimed Cavanaugh “It’s been amazing. This has been such an incredible turnout. I’m so grateful to all the volunteers and donors who came to make this possible. It’s been amazing and people are having so much fun. The food’s wonderful.”
Kid Zone
“The kid zone is on fire,” added Smegal. “Everyone is having a great time. I love it!”
Near the community hall there was more food with Samara Southern Creations and Robert Dorsey Catering. Some people waited an hour in line to get one of Robert’s fried chicken sandwiches. “Crazy busy,” Dorsey told us. “We started off this morning without a deep fryer, so I was pan-frying chicken. So now we’re up and running so chicken is abundant.”
Morgan Brasfield, the Piedmont resident behind Mo’s Bake Shop was also slammed. She sold hundreds of her award-winning chocolate chip cookies in a few hours. “So the community response for this event has been more than we could have anticipated,” Brasfield said, “and we’re so pleased. It’s a resounding success.”
Piedmont’s newest city council member, Jennifer Long, along with Betsy Smegal Andersen, greeted people as they entered the beer and wine garden. “I think it’s amazing.” Long told me. “I think it’s clearly something that Piedmonters wanted.”
Wine & Beer Garden
Inside the beer and wine garden there is something for everyone. Including Free Range Flower Winery, Deer Hill Vineyards, Two Broads Cider Works and lots of beer. Drake’s, Oakland United, Federation and a gluten-free beer from Buckwild. John Karnay from Oakland United Beer Works, who is also the CFO and Broker of the Grubb Company, was pouring a popular black lager. “It’s a traditional German schwarzbier,” Karnay said between pours. “It’s not like a porter, it’s not like a stout, but it is sort of a dark light beer.”
The day wrapped up with the Oakland Samba Revue, followed by the Black Music Incubator Artist Showcase.
This was everything Piedmont Food Fest founder Roger Tsai hoped for. Bringing people together to celebrate diversity in one memorable event.
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