It was an event that encouraged attendees to eat to their heart's content.
The Cold Lake Regional Chamber of Commerce hosted the inaugural Feast at the Beach at Kinosoo Beach on Aug. 30 and 31. There was something for everyone with the variety of food trucks, bands from across the province, and plenty of activities for kids.
When the Cold Lake chamber began planning the food truck festival, vice-president Josh Holman said no one could have dreamed of the success it would be.
"We kind of hoped that it would be as good as it was, but you didn't want to say it out loud because you didn't want to jinx it, but in our best hopes, that was what it was. If we had great weather, we knew the crowds would come. The food trucks killed it, and we heard great feedback from the bands," he exclaimed.
Attendees could enjoy a variety of musical acts throughout both days, and walk along Lakeshore Dr. to grab a bite to eat from any of the eight food vendors on-hand. The options ranged from gourmet hot dogs and poutines to an assortment of desserts. Kids burned off their energy on the bouncy castles, won prizes at the games, and became their favourite fictional characters with the help of some face painting.
Cold Lake resident Shawn Martens compared Feast at the Beach to festivals hosted in cities such as Edmonton, but said the local event was "better because it's right on the lake."
Feast at the Beach may have put food in the forefront, but showcasing what Kinosoo Beach has to offer was another important detail for the chamber.
"The beautiful backdrop of the beach was an aspect everyone loved, and we even had the northern lights on Friday at the end of the show. It was quite unique," noted Holman.
For local band FKB, also known as the Fort Kent Boys, this was the first time they had been back to perform in the city since Canada Day in 2017.
"It was a good time and a great way to come back to Cold Lake to play again," expressed lead singer Drew Shalka.
According to Holman, there were roughly 40,000 food tickets sold on the Friday, and Saturday’s numbers exceeded that.
"A few of the trucks almost ran out of food the first night. They had prepped for the whole weekend and some of the line ups for some of the trucks were 50 people long. But, they were able to keep up and kept ploughing through," he explained.
Attendee Patty Srisuwan believes it was an awesome way to wrap-up summer.
"It was so great, and I think it should happen every year. Please, make it happen every year and make it bigger with more food trucks," she exclaimed.
When brainstorming new events to bring the community together, the chamber decided on hosting a food-based weekend.
"We wanted to support local business, but to also bring some bands that you don't see all the time and some food that you don't get to have all the time; just to bring a variety of different menus, and something different than what we have around here usually," Holman explained.
With a successful Feast at the Beach behind them, Holman said they've already started thinking about how to "bring a bigger and better event next year."