Annual Crave Food and Music Festival returns to Lexington in August

Mark your calendars: The 2017 Crave Food and Music Festival will be Aug. 12 and 13 at the Bluegrass Fair grounds at Masterson Station Park. There will be food from more than 50 local restaurants, food trucks, chefs and vendors, plus live music, craft beer, cocktails and more. Admission is $8, free for ages 10 and younger. You can get discounted tickets for admission and for food purchases online at Cravelexington.com/buytickets. The music lineup includes Cincinnati’s The Tillers and Grits & Soul out of Asheville, N.C., along with a group of Lexington-area artists. Go to LexGo.com for the complete lineup.

▪  With the loss of Lexington Restaurant Week this year, some local restaurants are planning their own dining special events. From July 20 to 29, Clawdaddy’s, 128 North Broadway, will offer a $25 three-course menu for two to share, featuring lobster bisque or clam chowder, a Maine lobster roll with slaw or two shrimp rolls with slaw, and a Whoopie Pie of the day. Call 859-258-2529 for reservations.

▪  From July 23 to 29, Azur Restaurant and Patio, 3070 Lakecrest Circle, will offer a weeklong special three-course meal. For $26, you get lobster crepes, bourbon fried chicken and blueberry peach cobbler. Reservations are recommended; call 859-296-1007.

▪  Sister restaurant Brasabana, 841 Lane Allen Road, will offer a special dinner for two for $25 from July 23 to 29. You get an order of empanadas, a family-style serving of white rice and black beans, and two choices of samples of some of their signature dishes: ropa vieja, mojo glazed shredded pork, or fricasse de pollo; with a choice for dessert of tres leches cake or a Cuban cigar to share. Reservations are recommended; call 859-303-5573.

▪  On July 22, Azur, 3070 Lakecrest Circle, also will present its annual farmers market brunch buffet, featuring selections including bourbon fried chicken, and produce from the Azur Farmers Market, including kale, corn, farm egg and sweet onion souffle, blueberry sour cream muffins, and cheese grits with summer ratatouille for $20, from 11:30 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. Reservations are recommended; call 859-296-1007.

▪  The Akielo Temple No. 128, Daughers of the Nile will hold their annual corn boil from 4 to 7 p.m. Aug. 4 at Oleika Shrine Center, 326 Southland Drive. It’s $9 for adults and $5 for children 6 and younger. You get all you can eat of fresh corn on the cob, green beans, slaw, sliced tomatoes, cornbread, ham, lemonade, tea or coffee, and dessert. Proceeds will go to the temple.

▪  Jessamine Growers Farmers Market, 8 a.m. to noon Saturday behind City Hall at Main and Rice streets in Wilmore, will have locally grown tomatoes, green beans, squash, potatoes and other seasonal vegetables, herbs, local honey and eggs, and cut flowers and perennials.

▪  Bluegrass Farmers Market, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and 2 to 5 p.m. Tuesday at the Hamburg Liquor Barn, 1837 Plaudit Place, and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and 3 to 6 p.m. Thursday at Azur, 3070 Lakecrest Circle, will have white half-runner beans, corn, heirloom tomatoes, potatoes, eggs, honey, jams, beef, pork and more.

▪  Nicholasville Farmers Market, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at 717 North Main Street, will have peaches, tomatoes, watermelons, sweet corn, lettuces, squash, green beans, cucumbers, carrots, beets, greens, candy onions, flowers jams and jellies, baked breads, black angus beef, specialty roasted coffees, and items from Kentucky artisans.

▪  Lexington Farmers Market, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday in Cheapside Park and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday at Southland Drive, will have lots of sweet corn, green beans, tomatoes, cantaloupes and peppers. Peaches, blueberries, blackberries, zucchini, squash, and most other warm-weather fruits and vegetables also are available now.

▪  Chevy Chase Farmers Market, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday at 316 Ashland Avenue, has fresh seasonal local produce and pastured meats and eggs.

▪  Graeter’s Ice Cream is releasing a special bonus flavor: Peanut brittle ice cream, with crunchy candied peanuts, will be in retail stores for two weeks or less, the company said. The Graeter’s stores in Lexington are at 836 Euclid and 1925 Justice Drive. If they’re out of that one, look for this year’s mystery flavor: strawberry cheesecake. Or the seasonal limited-edition peach ice cream.

This story was originally published July 12, 2017 at 12:05 PM with the headline "Annual Crave Food and Music Festival returns to Lexington in August."