After three decades as a signature spring event, Taste Addison will no longer be held, city officials announced this week.
The Addison City Council voted Tuesday to end the annual food festival, which was scheduled to return in April. The festival was created to spotlight Addison’s restaurants scene and featured live performances from notable musicians. City leaders said the city will now redirect funding and staff resources toward new initiatives.
Deputy Mayor Chris DeFrancisco praised city staff for producing a successful event, but questioned whether the festival still meets its original goals of highlighting the restaurants main courses. DeFrancisco noted that food has not been the main attraction for attendees in recent years.
"I'd love to know if the idea of an outdoor festival has run its course," DeFrancisco said
According to a city presentation, Addison lost about $760,000 last year to host Taste Addison.
Abby Morales, the city's director of special events and theater, said more restaurants participated last year – almost 50, up from 20. Still, she said, food alone does not drive attendance.
“Another audience happens to be those that like music and that are gonna come out and enjoy, that are gonna come out specifically for whoever that headline is,” Morales said.
City manager David Gaines said the city’s goal has been to draw visitors to Addison to support local businesses, even if that means booking major musical acts to attract large crowds. But he acknowledged that the rising cost of entertainment has strained the event's budget
“What we would love to hear is we’re doing an approach this year based on the budget to be proactive in trying to get that number decreased slightly,” Gaines said.
Mayor Bruce Arfsten and other officials noted that Taste Addison has generated significant media attention and regional visibility for the city, which may offset some of the financial losses.
Several council members said they’d like to shift to smaller, more targeted efforts, such as a restaurant week, rather than maintaining a large-scale weekend festival centered on live entertainment.
