Rapids River Days Festival Ends With Food Fest

(KNSI) – The food fest caps off Sauk Rapids River Days later Saturday, with over two dozen options to tickle the taste buds.

The event is scheduled for Municipal Park from 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., featuring a veritable smorgasbord of culinary delights. Committee member Abigail Yozamp says organizers take pains to ensure a wide variety of options. “If you’re coming in and you want to sell corn dogs, well, we already have corn dogs, so you’re not going to find two of necessarily the same thing.”

Her husband, Matt, stresses that everyone, from vegetarians to those with a sweet tooth, who want to start the day with dessert, is taken care of. The Yozamps say this area has great diversity in its food scene, which makes their job easier when it comes to showcasing that range.

The food fest is the exclamation point, a mix of the cherry on top of the sundae and the meat and potatoes of Sauk Rapids River Days. There is also a pageant and parade. The Yozamps focus solely on the grub, and it generates up to $100,000 in sales in just nine hours. According to Abigail, proceeds raised are peppered back into the community in the form of scholarships for students and local organizations.

“Sauk Rapids Food Fest is completely nonprofit, run by volunteers. We are giving every single penny back to the community, and we’re just looking for the kids and families to come out, have fun, try different food trucks in the area, and support local, is the real big thing.”

Kids can burn off the calories in bounce houses and a mobile splatter room until, like Oliver Twist, they’re ready for round two. Live music and other entertainment are also planned. Three acts will take the stage, jamming for the entire event.

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