LOUISVILLE, Ky. — While many were excited about the opportunity to attend a festival focused solely on tacos and margaritas, people who attended out-of-state events from the same promoter said it may not live up to expectations. Now, local venue managers are offering some reassurance to Louisville.
"We just wanted to bring something fun to Lynn Family Stadium,” said Sandra Moran with ASM Global, a Louisville-based venue management company.
ASM Global is working with Lynn Family Stadium for an upcoming “Taco and Margarita Festival,” scheduled for Oct. 2. They are also working with AZ Food Festivals, a company that arranges similar events across the country.
Online complaints from other states said AZ events in the past have ended in disappointment.
"We are aware of the issues that happened in other cities so we can empathize with fans who are a little bit concerned,” Moran said.
Reported issues ranged from long lines to lack of food. Some festival goers filed complaints with Attorneys General in North Dakota and Pennsylvania.
In a phone call, AZ Food Festival’s owner Adam Dobres told WHAS11 problems happened when he looped in secondary promoters, saying he feels his company has been blamed for local issues.
"They didn't even manage that themselves,” Moran said of the events. “So, they learned a lesson they're not going to do that anymore.”
For the festival at Lynn Family, Moran said local staff will handle event planning and organization. Organizers will take control of the event by relying on local vendors like I Love Tacos and at Germantown's Four Pegs.
"When I started looking at what had gone on in other cities with the lack of vending and food, I got a little worried,” Four Pegs’ owner Chris Williams said.
Williams turned to stadium partners and said he was assured the festival will run smoothly.
"We haven't actually been talking to the promoters, we've just been working with Lynn Family Stadium,” he said.
Ernesto Rivera's I Love Tacos plans to set up shop too. He said the venue gives him confidence.
"We feel like we're part of the family at Lynn Family Stadium, we've worked with them in the past,” he said.
Lynn Family Stadium's concessionaire will also provide food and drinks. Organizers haven't finalized all of the vendors yet.
"There are going to be plenty of vendors, people do not need to worry about these really long lines or not getting what they paid for,” Moran said.
Moran said ASM worked with AZ Food Festivals for a similar festival at an ASM venue in Jacksonville, Florida. She said that event didn’t experience any issues.
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