‘Taco’ The Town: Bigger Taco Week Returns To Greater Moncton
MONCTON – The Fourth Annual Moncton Taco Week will see 38 restaurants offering their own version of the taco, to celebrate the redoubtable South and Central American staple.
“It’s super exciting that it’s growing and people are catching on and enjoying delicious tacos,” said Jared Betts, Founder, Executive and CEO of the now-incorporated Moncton Taco Week Inc.
Betts, who also is an award-winning painter whose art has been exhibited on a national and international level, credited the growing local interest to promotion on Facebook and Instagram, where the lion’s share of attention is being directed to the event.
Betts said last year, when the festival first appeared in Shediac, the event saw 56,000 views on Facebook alone, on a page dedicated to it, with guests as far away as Toronto interested in trying some local tacos.
The first Taco Week saw 8,000 people supporting 17 local restaurants, and its second iteration saw more than 10,000 people buy tacos from 29 participating restaurants.
“This year, I launched it and it has over 8,000 views every day, so it’s ramping up, and thousands of people are seeing every taco I post there,” he said.
That growth entails more than eyes on a social media page. This year, during its May 4 to 14 run, Taco Week will return to Shediac, this time at two restaurants – Mason Tait House Restaurant and Le Moque Tortue – where Betts will also be busy this, painting the giant local lobster, this summer.
In addition to businesses throughout Shediac, Moncton, Dieppe and Riverview, Betts is working to bring Taco Week to Saint John, as well, for a whole new version of the festival in early fall 2022.
“Once we do that, we’ll maybe expand to other cities in the future so we’re really developing a taco empire,” quipped Betts.
Taco Week celebrates the taco through a variety of unique takes on, and variations of the taco, from Mexi’s Fresh Express’s Baja Fish Tacos and Café Archibald’s Beet Horseradish and Braised Beef Tacos, to Lostandfound Ice Cream’s dessert taco and Le Moque Tortue’s lobster, scallop and shrimp taco – with many vegetarian and vegan tacos in the mix.
Another change that comes with the festival’s fourth year is the fact that Betts has formally incorporated Taco Week. Betts said the move
was meant to accommodate the scale of the project.
“Making it a corporation would make it more of a confirmed business model, and just everything that goes with it makes it a better fit than just ‘Jared Betts, the artist.’ I want to completely separate and since it’s growing, I’ve been able to do that.”
“The thing about this festival is that it’s almost like an art gallery show, and the tacos are the paintings. It’s incredible, I also photograph the tacos and get to sample them so my heart and belly are full,” said Betts.
Betts says he plans to integrate a more art-centric side of the festival in its future iterations.
“For right now, I’m just taking the time to mention I almost make paintings and am doing work on the Shediac lobster – and have done different murals and stuff like that. I think merging art could be a great thing to add to this festival,” he said.
“It’s just a great thing, where the community is ready to get out and connect with each other through having fun and tacos,” Betts said.
“I’m looking to promote sustainable change for communities, supporting local businesses and bringing connection with the community –especially after such a hard couple of years. People seem ready to get back out and connect with families and friends. Hopefully, this helps local businesses that have been struggling through harsh winters. I’m so excited to see patios coming out and I think the sun will be out for the tacos.”
Sam Macdonald is a Huddle reporter in Moncton. Send him your feedback and story ideas: [email protected].