The Taste of Lemont has concluded, and now it is time to review it. Taste of Lemont is a yearly event showcasing Lemont’s best culinary and entertainment delights while also benefiting the Lemont High School Educational Foundation. For those who could not make it, fear not because I shall provide you an inside look into what you missed out on.
Starting with the highlight of the event: the food. Unsurprisingly, it was delectable considering it is the “Taste” of Lemont after all. Likewise, I do not think I am alone with this opinion as many stalls had hiccups attempting to keep up with the high demand. As time went on, certain stalls had to shut down temporarily to restock supplies. While an inconvenience for those trying to savor some delicious food, the stalls viewed this as being a successful day of business.
“[It was] hectic, but it was good business,” Chris Shannon, a local student running the Rosati’s Stall, said.
Despite the vendors being sold out, some were still left craving more.
“[I] ate so much food yet [I am] still hungry and my mouth is so dry, I already spent $25 on tickets,” senior Michael Switalski said.
Nevertheless, the food left a lasting impression on many, especially those not originally from Lemont.
“[It’s] honestly better than I expected. It makes me quite proud to work in this town and community,” Fernando Fernandez said, who, despite not being from Lemont, thoroughly enjoyed the cuisine.
While the food was ultimately up to standards despite the supply issues, the same can not be said for the entertainment. While the music was fantastic, it can only go so far in the grand scheme of things. As senior Sean Graves puts it, “There’s nothing to do, it’s boring.”
In reality, your enjoyment at the event relied on if you were lucky enough to find some people you knew. That ended up proving challenging for some, including the few high school attendees who felt that there were not enough of them at the event.
“It’s pretty okay so far, but there’s far too many younger kids here and not enough high schoolers,” Elijah Murray said during the event.
Indeed younger children seem to dominate in some areas of the event. However, it seemed like they were enjoying themselves much more than the older event goers, albeit with a bit of creativity.
“I saw a kid chasing people with an empty jug of milk,” Michael Amberg said.
The point of the game or where the child got the jug from remains a mystery but still highlights how some enjoyed the event in their own way. Likewise, some kids even took to setting up a mock baseball game using nothing but themselves and some imagination.
Furthermore, at the event, attendees had the chance to get makeshift tattoos on their faces or arms which proved to be quite the attraction.
“Major slays,” Yanna Krokos said when asked how the event’s tattooing was holding up. No further comment or explanation was provided on what exactly that even means, but one can surmise it signifies something extraordinary.
Nonetheless, it seems like this entire event had some mixed reviews. Some like Bub Breszach dubbed the event as “Swagalicious” while others disliked it for some reason or another.
Personally, I enjoyed the food, but to be fair, it is the same cuisine that I usually frequent in town. The music was a highlight, sure, but that was all there was to enjoy. The event lacked overall activities to keep people entertained. While it was not terrible by any means, it did not live up to all the hype. Perhaps in the future, the Taste Of Lemont could incorporate a variety of minigames or activities in addition to the wonderful cuisine and music to bring the event to its fullest potential.
