20th annual World Food and Music Festival hosts record-breaking amount of vendors

DES MOINES, Iowa — The 20th anniversary of the World Food and Music Festival is taking place in Downtown Des Moines this weekend and it’s the largest festival yet.

The Greater Des Moines Partnership is hosting over 60 vendors representing 30 countries at Western Gateway Park.

Amelia Klatt, the Director of Events for the Greater Des Moines Partnership, said the festival drew large crowds of people during their opening night on Friday, and they expect this trend to continue into the weekend.

Klatt said her favorite part of the festival is the $2 sample. Each vendor has a sample available for $2, which allows people to get a smaller portion from the vendor for a cheaper price.

Part of this year’s growth comes from having new vendors at the festival. Two of them include Reyes Tamales and Crème.

Reyes Tamales is representing Mexico. They are the 28th booth and are located on Locust Street, just east of the intersection with 12th Street.

Arturo Reyes, the owner, said his tamales are special because he follows a family recipe.

“My grandmother used to sell tamales in Mexico outside of the house, then my mom, and now I’m here,” he said.

While most tamales have meat, Reyes also has vegetarian options available. He said that his experience of working in the food industry for over twenty years has taught him that there’s a need to provide food for people with different intolerances. That’s why all of his tamales are also gluten-free.

Crème is another first-time vendor at the festival and they are representing Japan. They are the 23rd booth and are located on Locust Street right at the corner of 13th Street.

While many are already familiar with the popular Des Moines bakery, they are showcasing some pastries that customers won’t be able to find outside of the festival. Owner, Sammy Mila, said they make donuts exclusively for appearances at fairs or markets, and they cannot be purchased at the bakery.

They’re selling four donut flavors at the festival, including cinnamon sugar, ube and coconut, matcha white chocolate, and peace hi-chew. Their peach hi-chew is exclusive to this year’s festival and likely won’t be available again after this weekend.

Along with their donuts, they also have other options on the menu. They also have gluten-free and dairy-free options as well.

While temperatures are expected to rise this weekend, and especially on Sunday, many festival-goers will be looking for vendors with products to help cool off.

Whip Delight is one of these vendors. They are the 18th booth and are located on 13th street near the intersection with Locust Street. They’re representing the United States, but specifically Hawaii.

On Saturday, they’re selling strawberry and pineapple soft serve, which is a dairy-free, lactose-free, gluten-free, and vegan sweet treat. They also have Whip Pops, which are like shakes.

Outside of this delicious food truck in Iowa, the Dole Soft Serve treats are only available in Hawaii and Disney Land. Matt and Hollie Imming own Whip Delight, and they say their treats transport Iowans to a tropical vacation.

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