Big changes for Lexington’s 2024 CRAVE food, craft beer & music festival
CRAVE, Lexington’s local food and music festival, is back and there are some big changes this year.
Founded and produced by Smiley Pete Publishing, the two-day event will be returning to its original location at the Moondance Amphitheater in the Beaumont neighborhood, where the first CRAVE festival was held in 2013 before the event moved to Bluegrass Fairgrounds at Masterson Station Park.
And the festival also is moving to earlier in the summer this year: It will be on July 27 and 28, instead of in August, meaning CRAVE will overlap with the final weekend of another popular Lexington food event, Lexington Restaurant Week.
This year’s CRAVE will have more than 30 local and regional restaurants, food trucks and vendors participating, according to a news release. They will have a wide array of entrees and samples available starting at $3-$5.
As in previous years, attendees purchase digital CRAVE Bucks, the festival’s own currency, to buy food and drink from the vendors.
Cash and card as well as CRAVE Bucks can be used at the box office to get into the event and also can be used at the bar tents.
Everything else at the festival can be purchased with CRAVE Bucks through a smart device or through reloadable paper QR codes. Tickets and CRAVE Bucks can be purchased in advance online at a discount; while there are no CRAVE Bucks refunds, you can transfer what you don’t need to a friend.
A portion of the festival proceeds will be donated to the event’s charitable partner, GreenHouse17. GreenHouse17 is a non-profit organization based in Fayette County, “committed to ending intimate partner abuse in families and the community,” according to their website. To date, Smiley Pete has donated over $140,000 to the organization through CRAVE.
Food And Drink Available at CRAVE 2024
There are 30 food vendors featured at this year’s festival, each offering a selection of food between $3-$5, as well as higher price points to encourage attendees to try more options.
The restaurants available this year include: 33 Staves, Azur Restaurant & Patio, C&J BBQ, Mazunte Bodega, Honeywood, Mi Pequena Hacienda, Cardira’s Columbian, Rolling Oven, The Sage Rabbit, Jasmine Rice, Taqueria los Nietos, Drake’s, Byrd & Del’s, NuHealth Kitchen, Kirk’s Blue Smoke, Ceci’s Grill House (Brazilian), Chef Doug’s Gourmet Foods, Don Taco, Nathan’s Taqueria, Jack Brown’s, Lillie Mae’s BBQ, Louisiana Passion, Eddie’s Roasted Corn, Inebriated Baker, Piggin Out, Kona Ice, Old Kentucky Kettle Corn, Sav’s Gourmet Ice Cream and Strawberry Village Bakehouse.
New participants include Mazunte Bodega, Sage Rabbit and Honeywood.
CRAVE also will serve craft beer, cocktails and a wine selection. Woodford Reserve and Ford Gin’s will offer cocktails, and Country Boy craft beer will be available. Mini BOTA Box Wines and rose will be provided by Delicato Family Wine.
Music and Activities
CRAVE Festival is appropriate for all ages, and offers multiple activities for children
including a festival-wide scavenger hunt and games.
The CRAVE Kitchen Stage will feature two Kentucky native Food Network stars, Jason “Lord Honey” Smith and Jackie Joseph. Smith is a self-taught baker and cook who has coined a style he calls “Country Bling” and Joseph won season four of “America’s Best Baker.”
There will be live food demonstrations and head-to-head cooking competitions including Bluegrass Burger Battle and Home Chef Competition, as well as a bartender competition, CRAVE’s Shake & Stir Showdown, featuring three local bartenders who will create a signature cocktail using Woodford Reserve and Ford’s Gin.
The festival is also in partnership with the student-run radio station at the University of Kentucky, WRFL 88.1 FM, and there will be two full days of live local music including R&B, ska, bluegrass, rock and soul. Abby Hamilton and Brother Smith, who performed at Railbird in Lexington in June, will perform at this year’s CRAVE.
CRAVE live music schedule
July 27
▪ Noon- 1 p.m., The Rough Customers
▪ 1:30-2:30 p.m., The Swells
▪ 3-4:15 p.m., Movie Jail
▪ 4:45- 6 p.m., DeBraun Thomas
▪ 6:30-7:45 p.m., Abby Hamilton
▪ 8:15-9:30 p.m., 10 Foot Pole
July 28
▪ 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Voodoo Dolls
▪ 1-2 p.m., Them Lasses
▪ 2:30-3:45 p.m., The Baja Yetis
▪ 4:15-5:15 p.m., Bedford
▪ 5:45- 7 p.m., Brother Smith
CRAVE food and music festival
When: July 27 11 a.m. - 10 p.m., and July 28 11 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Where: Moondance Amphitheater, 1152 Monarch St.
Tickets: $10 for single day admission or $15 for a two-day weekend pass. Children aged 10 and under admitted free. CRAVE Bucks for food and drink can be purchased in advance or at the event.
Online: cravelexington.com
