Crave Lexington Food + Music Festival returns to Masterson Station Park

CraveWorthy

Crave Lexington Food + Music Festival, Aug. 14-15, features entertainment and dozens of vendors serving a variety of foods.

Crave Lexington Food + Music Festival returns to Masterson Station Park

BY SHANNON CLINTON

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Festivals are back in action across the Bluegrass this year, and Crave Lexington Food + Music Festival is no exception. The event will be held Aug. 14-15 at Bluegrass Fairgrounds in Masterson Station Park with live music, about 50 food vendors, culinary demonstrations, kids’ activities by Live Green Lexington and more, said Crave director Amy Eddie. Smiley Pete, which also publishes Business Lexington and Chevy Chase and Southsider magazines, produces the event.

In addition to live music, culinary programming and other o erings included with admission, a variety of food vendors will be onsite selling prepared dishes for $2, $3 and $5.

“We are also excited to bring virtual Crave Bucks to Crave,” Eddie said. Instead of festivalgoers standing in line to purchase paper Crave Bucks to spend onsite, this year a mobile-based app will be used to purchase and spend Crave Bucks, she said. Users will receive a QR code on their phones that vendors will scan to deduct purchases, and charging stations will be onsite to keep phones juiced throughout the weekend.

A fixture at Crave since its debut is Nipaporn “Kukie” Ruadrew, owner of Jasmine Rice Thai Restaurant in Lexington.

“This year I will be serving Pad Thai, options for gluten-free and vegan, Thai fried rice, fresh spring rolls gluten-free and vegan, Thai BBQ on a skewer, Thai tea, Thai co ee and bubble tea,” she said.

Ruadrew said she’s thankful to be a part of the Crave community.

“Crave has helped to bring me so much new business and customers over the years,” she said. “I enjoy seeing our repeat customers at Crave, and I especially enjoy welcoming new customers and inviting them to come check out the restaurant.”

Heaven Hill’s lineup of spirits, including Elijah Craig and Larceny, will be featured at Crave, and there’s also something new this year, Eddie said.

“We’re planning a bourbon tasting this year, which is new to Crave,” she said. “It will be an outside ticketed event” with details available at www.cravelexington.com.

On the food performance stage, local chefs will demonstrate meals for a “Soulful Saturday Supper” and “Soulful Sunday Supper” in partnership with Black Soil, which has a mission to foster a greater market share for Kentucky’s Black agricultural producers. The meals being demoed can be purchased and eaten onsite afterward, Eddie said.

Performing artists include Tee Dee Young, Restless Leg String Band, The Jesse Lees, Ernie Johnson From Detroit, Sylmar, Letters of Acceptance, The Boa Boys, Lylak, Driftwood Gypsy and FrigidKitty.

“While food is the primary focus of Crave, we’ve always taken pride in showcasing our favorite live music acts from the region at the festival,” said Saraya Brewer, music and production manager for Crave, who notes that college radio station WRFL 88.1 is a longtime supporter of the festival. “This year’s lineup features 10 bands from the Lexington, Louisville and Cincinnati areas, representing a variety of genres from bluegrass, funk and R&B to indie rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock.”

Smiley Pete Publishing is partnering once more with GreenHouse 17, which services 17 Kentucky counties to end intimate/domestic partner abuse. Close to $90,000 has been donated to the organization through this event to date, Eddie said.

Eddie said Crave is a great venue for food and music lovers to safely gather in a large outdoor setting.

“It is always a great weekend to come out and celebrate the great culinary scene we have here in Lexington,” she said. BL

“Crave has helped to bring me so much new business and customers over the years. I enjoy seeing our repeat customers at Crave, and I especially enjoy welcoming new customers and inviting them to come check out the restaurant.”

If You Go

Crave Lexington Food + Music Festival is back for its eighth year from noon to 11 p.m. Sat., Aug. 14 and noon to 7 p.m. Sun., Aug. 15. Held at Bluegrass Fairgrounds at Masterson Station Park, the festival features about 50 local food vendors who serve specially selected food items for $2, $3 or $5. There will also be non-food vendors, drinks, chefs, live music, kids’ activities, craft beer and cocktails, a classic car show both days, and more.

Admission is $8 for a one-day pass or $12 for a weekend pass. Children ages 10 and younger are admitted at no charge. Parking is free. Crave Bucks, which are used as currency during the festival, are available via a web-based app this year. Visit www.cravelexington.com to learn more.