Swag's Fest Photos: Taste Addison Festival

$5 admission, free parking.

This Fest originated as a food festival, to showcase the many restaurants located in Addison.  After about 5 years of only local acts, the Fest began to book some regional and even national touring acts, like Joe Ely, the Neville Brothers, and Delbert McClinton.  Then, for a couple of years, the music bogged down with has-been acts like the Bay City Rollers.  But the last two years have been improving.   Saturday headliners in 2003 were the Spin Doctors and Collective Soul on Saturday; and Steve Riley and Marcia Ball on Sunday.

Sunday's opener had been scheduled as Sister Hazel, but food poisoning did them in.   Of the 5 member band, only rhythm guitarist Aaron Copeland was able to appear; a gallant effort under the circumstances, playing for about a half hour before announcing that he would "play one more song, then go throw up".

Cajun band Steve Riley & the Mamau Playboys followed.  Not everyone's cup of tea, but I like it, and cajun and zydeco bands gigs are all too rare here in DFW.  Closer was Marcia Ball, excellent as always. 

There's an interesting dynamic to this festival, because each of the 50+ restaurants that participate set their own prices for both food and beverage.  That makes for values for the comparison shopper - the same bottle of water that sells for $3 at one booth may sell for only $1 at another, only 10 feet away.  This also shows basic micro-economic theory in action, as many booths that originally sold beer for $3 drop the price to $2 to compete.  And on Sunday, the closing day, the bargains show up as the afternoon wears on.  I saw margaritas that were $3 each suddenly selling at 2 for $3; crab cakes that were $5 each at noon were 2 for $5 at 4 pm, and only $1 each as the 6pm closing time approached.  One booth was even giving away plates of pasta late, rather than throw the excess away.