The taco is a food that’s deeply connected to Milwaukee’s rich and distinct culinary tradition. With that in mind, Swarmm Entertainment Group—whose mission statement is “to ignite and fulfill the human imagination through social and community events”—founded Milwaukee Taco Fest. On Saturday, May 31, the inaugural Milwaukee Taco Fest will somewhat distract from tasteless goat-sex puns at Horny Goat Hideaway, with a pair of four-hour sessions. Why tacos? You don’t get it, man!
Tickets went on sale Monday. They range from three fiscally staggering prices of $12 for taco-less entrance into the Taco Tent, $16 for Taco Tent entrance and one taco, and $20 for admittance and four taco tickets. All ticket levels include additional processing fees. Bel Air Cantina, Fajita Grill, Guanajuato, Mr. Webo’s, La Caribena, Margarita Paradise, Shaker’s, Tess, Tres Hermanos, Tres Locos, and other vendors will be on site to accept Taco Tickets as they vie for the vaunted title of “Milwaukee’s Best Taco”—of, you know, the 12 businesses participating.
TriO ALma LatinA, “one of the hottest bands in the area” (yet somehow not featured on our Top 50 Milwaukee albums list), will provide musical entertainment. As Swarmm writes, “They making vocals and a full music section.” That sounds hot for this area.
There will also be a chihuahua contest and tequila sampling (for charge). The wrestlers of Mondo Lucha actually redeem the flawed fest quite a bit, yet the only “ignition of [our] human imagination” this community event coveys is imagining more samples from a wider array of vendors. Still, if there’s going to be an elaborate local undertaking to honor a foodstuff that isn’t particularly renowned in town, tacos was a great choice. So if you want to drop $16-$20 on between one and five tacos, mark your calendar for May 31.
If this goes well, there’s no end to the edible events Swarmm could host: Chili On The Hill, Jazz In The Pork, Steak Fair, Summer (Sausage) Fest, Locustard Street Festival, and a near-endless menu of other food puns.