
5

"This long-running food festival was moved from its traditional Independence Day weekend to an end-of-summer slot, now scheduled Friday, September 8 to Sunday, September 10, after a scheduling conflict with a downtown NASCAR street race prompted debate. City officials briefly considered relocating the event to a nearby pier but ultimately announced it would remain in the park; vendors waited for guidance during the uncertainty. Organizers framed the new dates as an intentional repositioning to celebrate late summer, even though it places the festival close in time to another major food event later in September." - Ashok Selvam