Taste of Charleston canceled for first time in 36 years

CHARLESTON, SC (WCSC) - The Charleston Restaurant Association has canceled the Taste of Charleston festival for the first time in 36 years.

The association wants to take this year to reorganize, restructure, and relocate the event.

"This year we've decided to postpone the Charleston Festival, the Taste of Charleston, that we've held for 36 years," said John Keener, Board Member of Charleston Restaurant Association.

Keener says the association decided to postpone the festival until next year so it could put together a better festival than they ever have before.

But a better festival means several changes including relocation from Boone Hall Plantation where the festival has been held for the past several years.

The association also wants to bring in more mom-and-pop restaurants and food trucks.

"It's a great event and initially I was bummed out," said Wendy Ezelle, the owner of the food truck Juice Joint. "But after thinking about it, it makes all the sense in the world."

Ezelle started Juice Joint just a few years ago. It's a food truck that sells pressed juices and smoothies.

"I would love the opportunity to bring what we have and expose people to it and be a part of the Taste of Charleston," said Ezelle.

Ezelle sees this as a new possibility to branch her business outside of her home-base on Folly Beach.

"When I can meet people from Mount Pleasant, Summerville and Monks Corner that are exposed to us for the first time because they haven't seen us around, it's great."

But she says this could mean even greater things for the food truck industry in Charleston.

"It's really fun to have food trucks around you. It's really accessible to everyone," said Ezelle. "So I think that this will allow people to see all the talent we have in our little trucks."
 
A spokesperson from Boone Hall says they're in full support of the Charleston Restaurant Association's decision to move locations.

The Charleston Restaurant Association has not set a date for the 2018 festival yet.

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