The Poutine Feast recently made its way to Hamilton for a four-day event featuring over 50 kinds of poutine, as well as live music and entertainment. Hamilton marked the second-last stop on the Poutine Feast’s tour around Ontario and people did not hesitate to indulge.
The event took place at Gage Park from Oct. 13-16 and featured poutine trucks offering unique toppings alongside the traditional fries, gravy and cheese curds combo. Some of the poutine trucks that made an appearance were Junior’s Upper Deck Express, Groovy Gravy and Asian Poutine Invasion.
Junior’s Upper Deck Express won people over with its trio poutine combo that included samples of three different poutines. Some options were a meat lover’s poutine, a holiday poutine and the Halifax donair poutine.
Paige Lavergne of Junior’s Upper Deck Express said the Halifax donair poutine is one of their top sellers and has won many awards.
“We’ve been doing this for about three years and have received lots of trophies,” Lavergne said. “Every Sunday, we have a competition where the MC picks judges from the crowd to taste all the poutines. Then they choose their favourite to decide a winner.”
The Asian Poutine Invasion’s authentic Asian toppings also attracted a crowd of people. The General Tao chicken and veggie spring roll poutines were popular picks. Groovy Gravy also had people intrigued by its tater-tot-toppings.
Those who weren’t interested in poutine could indulge in authentic Latin street foods from the Mexican and Colombian stands. The Latin station sold tacos, enchiladas, empanadas, beans and rice. People could also find fried food favourites at the Fish N Chips stand.
In addition to the many food options, the Poutine Feast had vendors selling original items. Crystal Young of Country Magnolia said she has been showcasing her work at different festivals for a while.
“I travelled with Poutine Feast all summer long visiting 26 locations across Ontario and I also do small shows back home in Peterborough,” Young said.
People also gravitated to the face painting booth where they could receive a Halloween-inspired full-face makeover or a temporary tattoo.
The next stop on the Poutine Feast’s tour is in Oshawa from Oct.27-30. To learn more visit Poutine Feast.
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