Cobb Food Tasting Festival attracts Georgians from all over, offers more than just food

Jake Busch, Marietta Daily Journal, Ga.
·2 min read

Jul. 10—Gloomy weather failed to dampen the spirits, even if it affected the turnout of festival goers in Cobb on Saturday.

The Cobb Tasting Festival, organized by Taste of Food Trucks, welcomed people from all over Georgia Saturday at Jim Miller Park in Marietta. Food vendors serving up offerings ranging from Caribbean cuisine and specialty lemonades to brunch dishes and assorted popcorn, all $1 to $6, operated out of tents or food trucks around a damp green field, while other proprietors of businesses for such goods as CBD products, skincare items, and jewelry also set up shop, eager to attract the diverse crowd.

"We came out here to bring the best chicken in the world for Cobb to taste," said Carlton Scales, co-owner alongside Drey Johnson of IDK It Don't Matter, a chicken-wing business based in Decatur.

"We got the best egg rolls in the world," Scales said. "We're the home of the crisp that don't miss!"

The wings were crispy, and a drizzle of curry sauce on top was a nice complement to the flakiness of the wing's skin.

Live entertainment was also featured at the festival. John Ridings, a building maintenance technician for Cobb Parks and Recreation, touted the portable stage where a DJ and other performers put on shows for attendees.

"We bought (the stage) during COVID because we couldn't have any indoor events," Ridings said.

Kassia Cato and Marquis Mosely from Paulding County came to the festival after seeing a flier for the event shared by Cobb County. They were enjoying dishes from Kronchy, a company that does a healthy spin on the arepa dish, a corn-based staple food in Colombia and Venezuela.

"Basically, we're gonna go down the line after we finish this," Cato said. "We're looking at everything, get some barbecue, we're just gonna sample everything."

Dessert too?

"Oh yeah," Cato confirmed.

Riara Potter, originally from Columbus but now living in Sandy Springs, came out with her friends Marcellus Jones of Columbus and Alanna Miller, also from Sandy Springs, to try out different offerings at the festival. Potter was enjoying cinnamon waffles and fried chicken from pop-up restaurant Brunch at Chelse's while Jones spooned Italian ice water from a clear plastic cup. Miller was sipping "galaxy lemonade," named for its deep purple hue that gives it an outer space appearance.

"It's very peaceful," Jones said of the festival, "everybody of different colors coming together."

While attendees enjoyed their meals and snacks, performers like Reno Money, an 8-year-old rapper from Mansfield, Ohio, took to the stage overlooking the festival.

"That's what it's all about, having fun and rocking out," Jones said.