Ask anyone from a traditionally excellent taco town, like Austin or L.A., and you’ll hear that Nashville’s still slacking on the taco front. But here’s a 2017 truth: We’re getting there, even beyond Nolensville Pike, where the best Mexican fare in Nashville’s long been found.
Taco Tuesdays in Nashville have been steadily getting more creative and more authentic, from small Tennessee/Alabama chain Local Taco’s fusion offerings to cozy East Nashville hang Mas Tacos’ clean and fresh flavors.
The latest, loudest example of our growth: We now have two major taco-focused festivals.
In May, the Nashville Tacofest kicked off, with two days of eating competitions and margarita mixing at Nissan Stadium. This fall, we’ll see the launch of the Taco Festival Nashville, “a tacotopia of epic proportions” set for September 30 in Riverfront Park.
Fall Taco Festival tickets and details
At the upcoming downtown fest, you can expect a mix of restaurants and food trucks slinging trademark tacos, bars and mixologists offering margaritas and cold beer, tequila tasting, all kinds of contests, a Chihuahua beauty pageant and a lot more.
It’s an all-afternoon celebration, from noon to 6, and it’s part of a National Taco Tour traveling from Detroit to Flagstaff. Each city’s fest has its own particular flavor, with local taco talent bringing their best. At the end of the fest, a grand taco champion will be chosen by National Taco Association judges, so we’ll add a new twist to the “Who makes the best tacos in Nashville?” argument.
Ticket options range from $12 general admission to a $50 VIP pass, which gives you access to private bars/restroom, a party area and the Tequila Expo tasting tent (non-VIPs can get in there with a $20 tasting pass).
Grab Taco Festival Nashville tickets here, and learn more about the fest from The Tennessean.
We’re marking it down on our fall entertainment calendar, and looking forward to a taco-tasting expedition. See you there?
If you’re a little less focused on festival tickets right now, concentrating more on finding a new Nashville home, we’d love to help. Reach ACRE here, or for an easy way to get your Nashville househunting process started, fill out this quick form.