New Details Released for Taste of Wheaton

New details have emerged this week regarding exhibitor booths at the 18th annual Taste of Wheaton festival, which is scheduled for Sunday, June 9, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Taste of Wheaton traditionally highlights the diverse restaurants in the Wheaton area, which set up booths to sell "tastes" in the $1 to $5 price range.

In years past, the festival has also allowed local businesses, county organizations and non-profits to set up exhibitor booths with posters, brochures and sign-up sheets.

Sidney Cooper, the festival coordinator and the marketing and events manager for the Wheaton Urban District, sent out an email in April to more than 40 of these groups: "Due to a few additional activities being planned for the event, which will require more space, we will not be able to accommodate exhibitor booths this year."

A cooking demonstration tent and a food and wine tent would be taking their place, Cooper wrote in an email to Patch.

But Cooper told Patch on Tuesday that there will be some exhibitor booths at the festival in June—just not as many as in years past. The Wheaton Urban District will be reaching out to "a select group of partners," such as the Charles Gilchrist Center for Cultural Diversity, for these booth spaces, she said.

No list of these partners has been released yet. As for the others?

"We just don't have the room," Cooper said.

The festival will take place in the Wheaton Triangle at the corner of Grandview Avenue and Reedie Drive in downtown Wheaton (one block north of the Wheaton Metro station). 

In addition to food and drink, this year's Taste of Wheaton will include live music, Wheaton Idol Karaoke, kids' rides, arts and crafts, face painting, balloon sculptures and more. See the Wheaton MD website for more details.

See photos on Patch from the Taste of Wheaton in May 2012.