SYRACUSE, N.Y. — The well-attended Taste of Syracuse event — which has traditionally launched the summer-festival season in and around Clinton Square — has been called off for a second straight year due to the ongoing pandemic restrictions.
Instead, organizer Galaxy Media will present “Picnics at the Park” each Thursday during the months of June, July, and August. The newly developed concept will take the place of the Taste of Syracuse festival “for this year only.”
“We want to bring back the Taste of Syracuse in its full capacity,” Carrie Wojtaszek, COO of Galaxy Media, said in a release. “Unfortunately, due to current state guidelines, the idea of having [more than] 200,000 people within our downtown area just doesn’t seem realistic at this point. We looked at variations of our festival but felt that the current restrictions would really take away the experience for the fans and the restaurants. We did not want to produce a Taste of Syracuse that was not up to our standards and not what the community expects from the event.”
After discussions with sponsors, Galaxy Media devised the concept of “Picnics at the Park.” This series of 13 small events will “allow our community to still enjoy some of their favorite aspects of the Taste [of Syracuse] such as the $1 samples and the live music. We look forward to bringing the Taste of Syracuse in all of its glory in 2022,” she added.
Picnics at the Park will be a weekly feature scheduled between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. each Thursday during the months of June, July, and August. Galaxy Media is currently exploring options for locations for the picnic event. Based on current state guidelines, reservations will be needed for the “picnic” areas on the lawn. Those wishing to visit the food trucks to enjoy full menu items or $1 samples “to go” will not need to reserve a space in advance. Proper protocols such as wearing masks and social distancing will be enforced.
Picnics at the Park will feature a variety of local food vendors and food trucks. The events will also include live acoustic music performed by many of the local bands and singers that people would typically hear at the Taste of Syracuse, Galaxy Media said.
Galaxy Media will release a full schedule of the Picnics at the Park series — including food trucks and the entertainment lineup — at a later date.