If you’re anything like the creator of the Famous Food Festival in Babylon, finding tempting cuisine at the upcoming event won’t be a problem, but picking just one as your favorite might be.
In an interview with South Shore Press, Famous Food Festival CEO/owner Eric Arshravan reflected on his favorite tastes from around the world as he prepares for an event that draws more than 100 vendors and as many as 30,000 guests. There’s live music, game shows, line dancing, and fun for kids, but the highlight of the day, Arshraven said, is “obviously the food.”
As one might anticipate given the name of the Oct. 11-14 festival, he said, “The food is the meat and potatoes (of the event). We have a ton of vendors who serve really unique items. Our team is fantastic for curating those vendors and making sure that they're bringing unique and new stuff to the festival.”
Arshravan’s favorite picks run the gamut from a shark sandwich served up by a Caribbean vendor to the smoked delicacies of a Brazilian vendor, who does the smoking right on site, to the mouthwatering lollipop lamb chops of a Greek vendor and tasty Thai shumai dumplings. Among the many options to satisfy your thirst, a new beer vendor offers over 30 varieties on tap, including fall specialties like pumpkin beers, he said.
According to the flyer, the Famous Food Festival will run from 1-8 p.m. on Friday and 11-8 p.m. on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, Oct. 11-14, at Tanger Outlets Deer Park, 152 The Arches Circle in the Deer Park hamlet of Babylon. Tickets can be purchased for $8 online or $15 at the door. Children under 7 are admitted for free, and those ages 8-12 will pay $5 each.
Musical attractions will include “great live music” and new this year, talent curated from the underground subway system, according to Arshravan. “If you’ve traveled the subway, you know in Manhattan and Queens, you’ll see some really awesome musicians who are either singing or playing an instrument and we wanted to highlight them,” he said. In harmony with the world food theme, the entertainment will include a cultural element so “people get an idea or a feel for how other cultures celebrate, their songs and music.”
For those who like to get into the act, an authentic cowboy will give lasso instructions and group line dancing entertains throughout the weekend, Arshravan said. Game shows will give attendees the opportunity to win prizes like free food from the vendors, he added. Children will also find plenty to do with face painting, rides, games, and virtual reality among the offerings. Besides food and beverage vendors, he anticipates one-of-a-kind crafts and art items.
The festival has grown “exponentially” since its first event in Manhattan, which Arshravan recalls “quickly ran out of space.” Tanger Outlets offers four times the size, and Arshravan hopes to add new sites over the next few years to meet continued growth.
The objective of launching Famous Food Festival, he explained, was to “create an atmosphere where we could provide people without brick-and-mortar locations an area where they could advertise and promote their products to the public. People who are just coming up with a new restaurant idea, a new food product, or a new type of drink or beverage, they wanted to promote it to the masses, and we wanted to provide them a platform to do so."
For details, visit the Famous Food Festival’s official website.