Taste Buds Celebrate 5 Years with New “Carnival Eats” Event

The Taste Buds are at it again, and this time, to celebrate their 5-year anniversary, they’re launching a brand-new food event: Carnival Eats, running from August 20–29, 2025.

For the first time ever, participating restaurants in Taste Buds’ latest event will have complete creative freedom to dream up any carnival-inspired dish they can imagine. The result is a menu lineup as bold as it is whimsical, with concoctions like Bacon-Wrapped Pogos, Funnel Cake Nachos, Deep-Fried Mac & Cheese Balls, Cotton Candy Chicken Tenders, and other over-the-top fairground flavours sure to turn heads—and tempt taste buds.

“Taste Buds started five years ago with the goal of celebrating local restaurants and giving the community a reason to explore and try something new,” the organizers explain. “Over the years, we’ve seen incredible creativity and amazing support from our restaurants. They trust us to make these events fun, exciting, and well-received, and that’s something we’re very proud of.”

From August 20 to 29, each participating restaurant will serve one exclusive carnival-themed menu item available only at their location. Food lovers are encouraged to sample as many as they like before casting their vote for the favourite dish. At the end of the event, two honours will be awarded: a Judge’s Award and the People’s Choice Award.

This year’s culinary contenders include Carrots N’ Dates, Billy K’s, Seguin Patate, Mr. Puffs, Sol De Acapulco, Jet Set Pub, Jacks Pub, and Cowan’s Dairy. With past hits like Taco Love, Burger Love, and Poutine Love under their belts, the Taste Buds are confident that Carnival Eats will be their most colourful, creative, and indulgent celebration yet.

More details and the full list of participating restaurants can be found at www.yourlocaltastebuds.ca. The Taste Buds—Patrick Larose, Matthew Girgis, and Justine Viray-Levac—are a trio of local, community-minded friends dedicated to creating fun, delicious, and memorable food events that bring people together while supporting the region’s restaurants.