Taste of Fort Macleod runs next week

By Mickey Dumont
Like a well-marinated recipe ingredient, the Sept. 5, Taste of Fort Macleod event continues to get richer and tastier with time.
Participants can expect the ambiance of historic Main Street in downtown Fort Macleod to pair well with food, drink and live music.
Ashley Tebbutt, executive director of the Fort Macleod Chamber of Commerce, says this year’s event is expected to be bigger and well, tastier.
“We have 20 vendors, four cook-off contestants and are expecting up to 500 people to attend,” said the new chamber executive director who is helping quarterback this year’s Sept. 5 event for the first time.
“We close down historic Main Street and open it up for all the food fun starting at 5:30 p.m.,” Tebbutt said. “There will be live music to add to the ambiance of The Taste of Fort Macleod.”
The Oldman River Rattlers band will provide the musical background.
Main Street between second and third avenues starts at noon for the vendors to setup. The event starts at 5:30 p.m.
Almost a decade simmering, The Taste of Fort Macleod is attracting vendors from across Southern Alberta to Fort Macleod on Sept. 5. Many of the 20 vendors are local, but others have been lured from Rolling Hills, Lundbreck, Claresholm, High River and Lethbridge to offer up delicacies in the growing street festival.
“We are hoping for it to be bigger and better attended than in past years – that’s our goal – and with the increase in vendors, we’re positive this will be a great time for all who attend,” she said.
A big part of the fun of The Taste of Fort Macleod event is in the tasting the different dishes and picking your favourites.
A four-way barbecue cookoff is scheduled that will add some spice. Foothills MP John Barlow, Livingstone-Macleod MLA Chelsae Petrovic and a representative from Lethbridge College will taste test fare from each team and then vote to crown a champion.
The town will be pitting its jalapeno popper wrapped in a meatball recipe against all comers.
The Taste runs from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m.
For more information visit online at fortmacleodchamber.ca or on Facebook.