Novi Taco Fest kicks off for a third year, drawing thousands

If you love tacos, Novi is the place to be this weekend. The three-day Novi Taco Fest kicked off Friday at Twelve Mile Crossing at Fountain Walk. That's across from Twelve Oaks Mall.

Organizers said 35 taco trucks, other food vendors, and retail vendors will be among the 25,000 people expected to visit the fest.

Throughout the fest are competitions like taco-eating contests, hot pepper-eating contests, and cute dog contests.

Charles Prater of Highland won a taco eating contest Friday evening. He said it was a piece of cake.

“Someone told me 'Hey, there's a taco eating contest. I know you love to eat tacos. Do you want to get in on this?' I was like, 'Yeah, I know I can eat tacos faster than anyone else here.'"

Chiquita Reed brought her son and said she left the fest and came back for more African-Caribbean food.

“The Fountain Walk is really where I come to hang out. So, I love to come here. All the festivals, the barbecue festival that they had a couple of months ago. I was here," she said.

David Junker, who won the hot pepper eating contest, had a strategy. It was no sweat for him.

“Eat fast and swallow as fast as you can," he advised.

Karyn Stetz is the executive director of the Art As Healing Foundation, which organizes the fest.

She said it started as an art fair three years ago, quickly evolved, and has become an annual event people look forward to.

“The mall is really happy with the event and they like to promote it too. So, it’s very helpful for everyone out here on the west side of metro Detroit," Stetz explained.

She said they'll start planning for Taco Fest 2025 in January.