Our Insider Secrets: FAQs
The Basics
When and Where is Food Fest?
The 10th Annual LA Food Fest is on Saturday, June 29th on the beautiful grassy infield at Santa Anita Park.
The event is ONLY available via Gate 6 at Santa Anita Park, so please map the actual street address for Gate 6 –
275 Colorado Place, Arcadia, CA 91007
What Time is the Food Fest?
Event Hours are 2-7pm.
VIP Hour+ Gates open at 2pm.
VIP ticketing and ID check begins at 1:30pm.
GA Gates open at 3pm.
GA ticketing and ID check begins at 2:30pm
Why is the VIP Hour More than an Hour?
It can take us up to 20 minutes to process our first batch of attendees and we want to be sure our VIPs get their full early hour’s worth.
Why Santa Anita Park?
It’s a beautiful grassy venue with lots of room to grow, tons of grassy areas, plentiful parking, lots of shade, and stunning mountain views… need we say more?!
Is the Event Inside or Outside?
Santa Anita Park is gorgeous historic race track. It’s an outdoor venue and the event takes place on ‘the infield’ which includes a ton of grassy areas, seating, a playground for the kiddos, and a large open field to picnic and enjoy. It’s a very large footprint so be prepared to walk!
Can We Picnic on the Grass?
Yes! The grassy areas are open for picnics and lawn games during the full duration of the event, so feel free to bring blankets, umbrellas, and more.
About Your Tickets
How Much Does It Cost?
VIP tickets were $99 and General Admission tickets were $69.
Does The Price Really Include Beer, Wine and Cocktails?
Yes. Our tickets are truly all inclusive. Pay once. Eat and drink to your heart’s content. That’s it.
What Do VIPs Get?
Hour plus early admission, special parking, special bites and drinks, and dedicated VIP lounge with picnic area, seating, VIP bar and VIP only bites.
*Only 1000 early admission VIP HOUR+ tickets available!*
Do I Need to Print My Ticket?
Nope. Save a tree! We can scan your barcode from a smartphone or the Eventbrite app if you have it.
Pro tip- be sure to pull up your ticket and pull out your ID before you exit your car to help expedite your entry.
Do You Sell Tickets at the Door?
Yes. Unless the event is at capacity, we always have a limited number of tickets available at the event Box Office.
The Box Office is located adjacent General Admission at Gate 6.
Tickets are CASH ONLY onsite.
Is There a Will Call?
No, we do not do Will Call tickets. All tickets are electronic and scanned.
I Won Tickets! Where Do I Pick Them Up?
We issue all winner tickets to direct email addresses all the way up to the morning of the event. Check your inbox and spam folder.
Can I Give My Ticket To A Friend?
Yes. Tickets are transferable but will be invalid after having been scanned.
How Many Tickets Are Sold?
Just 5,000 per event (1500 VIP and 3500 GA) and we nearly always sell out. Once they’re gone, they’re gone!
Logistics
Can I Go Metro?
Yes! Why pay for parking when you can be all urban and chill on the train? We have those now, ya know.
Santa Anita Park is short ride on the Green Line Shuttle from the Arcadia stop on the Gold Line.
Where Can I Park?
If you must drive in, parking is available onsite.
The event is ONLY available via Gate 6 at Santa Anita Park, so please map the actual street address for Gate 6 –
275 Colorado Place, Arcadia, CA 91007
How Much is Parking?
Parking is $5, cash only. Complimentary parking is available for VIP only.
Planning to drink? We always recommend you Go Metro or rideshare whenever possible.
Who Will Be There?
Nearly 100 of the city’s best restaurants, chefs, carts, stands, trucks, bars, breweries and more. Nearly a dozen of Mexico’s top chefs. And you!
Is This a Food Truck Event?
Nope. We started out as a street food event, but even then, we hand picked the best of the best from all types of street food. Trucks represent 15% of our total vendors.
Why Do Some Vendors Run Out of Food or Have a Long Line?
We think all of our vendors are fab, but some are more popular than others, have more complicated dishes, or get hit hard early. Every vendor prepares at least 3,000 (yep, three thousand!) portions for our attendees, but the most popular ones always run out first. Be sure to check the map and hit your faves first so you don’t miss out.
Why Won’t a Vendor Let Me Take Bites For My Friend?
Because we want to be sure there’s enough food for everyone (see that question above!) our vendors ask that you take one portion at a time. Quite a few of the “bites” are more like two or three, so we recommend dividing and conquering and sharing those bites with a friend so you don’t flame out too fast!
Why is Last Call at 6:30pm?
Because that’s what the PD likes us to do to be sure you all get home safe and we’re happy to oblige.
Who Funds the LA Food Fest?
We do. Yep. We’re entirely self funded. No big backers or shadowy sponsors here. We’re an independent business just like those we set out to support at this event.
Where Does All The Money Go?
Mostly to our event expenses and paying our team. We’re a mission based and charitable event. What does that mean? It means we’re not only a promotional tool for our vendors but we also subsidize nearly all of their participation from covering their food costs to their rentals to the cost of permits. No one pays to participate. And we make charitable donations too.
I Want to Be A Vendor! How Do I Sell My Food at this Event?
This is an entirely curated, juried event and there are no sales. Email our team at vendors@LAfoodfest.com for more info on how to get involved in future events.
Do You Accept Craft Vendors?
Nope – no sales!
Are There Booths for Sale for My Business?
We do not sell booths and the only non food booths at the event are entertainment based and our event sponsors. More about sponsorship under Sponsors.
How Can We Become A Sponsor?
Visit the Sponsor page of our website for details.
Food Fest Pro Tips
The Food Fest is a lot like an adventure park or music festival for foodies. Want to have an awesome time? Strategy is the best Fest companion!
Go Metro!
Why pay for parking when you can be all urban and chill on the train? The Arcadia metro station is a short Green Line Shuttle ride away. Plus, you can totally undo your pants on the way home and no one will think twice about it. Bonus – The City of Arcadia’s Green Line will be extended until 8 PM on Saturday, 9-8 to accommodate this event! Go Metro!
Dress to Fest.
That means comfy shoes, no heels that’ll sink into the grass, hat, sunscreen, and… yo stretchy pants!
Check out the weather!
Temps will range from the high 70s to the mid 80s during the event with a light breeze. Be prepared for a warm day, but bring layers, just in case it gets chilly on the way out!
Leave it at home.
Everyone takes security seriously these days, so pack light, and be prepared to have any bags thoroughly inspected. If you want to bring your own water bottle, it must be sealed. And if you want to bring your own refillable water bottle, it must be empty when you come in. Baby bottles are fine. Strollers are fine too. If you want to move through security quickly we suggest you leave everything you can at home or in the car to save time.
Plan ahead.
There’s no human possibility anyone is eating everything at the Fest. And no, you can’t bring your Tupperware. (No, really, please don’t). Check out the map on our website (available the week of the event) and make sure you plan to hit your faves first. Yes, you can have all of the dessert first. We won’t tell.
Divide and conquer.
Send friends to neighboring booths and then meet up to swap and sample. This works best with a pair or a group of three or four. If you’re four or more, you’re more likely to look like you’re raiding the buffet with a to-go bag and less likely to get a vendor to fork over the goods. Our vendors are happy to give you a two-fer but otherwise try to take it easy and make sure there’s plenty to go around for everyone.
Pace yourself!
This is the most important pro tip of all. It’s easy to have eyes bigger than your belly and nothing can kill your day like a case of premature food coma. Pros know not to eat too much at one spot or blow all their belly room on the first few booths they see. As tempting as it is to eat it all, or even go back for seconds at that foodgasm worthy booth, unless it’s a little bite, split and share to save room to try more. We eat for a living. Trust us.
Waste not, want not.
On that ‘pace yourself and be sure to share’ note, we ask that you only take what you can eat and try not to send food to the waste bin if it can be avoided. Why? Because we’re working hard to become a zero food waste event and you’re the key to making that dream a reality. Plus, what you can’t eat will feed LA’s hungry and homeless at the end of the night. How’s that for a feel good Food Fest?!
Got wristband?
There’s nothing worse than waiting for a cold one only to discover you’re missing the critical goods. Don’t forget your ID and be sure to hit the ID check BEFORE you head in to the event!
Don’t forget to pick up your photos!
What photos you say? Your photos! ‘Gram your pics with the hashtag #LAfoodfest and they’ll be automatically printed at the Insta Party Box Photo Booth (on the map) and ready for pick up. #stretchypants
Bring a picnic blanket for the field.
It’s not often you can walk around barefoot in the grass at a food festival so be sure to enjoy it! Bring a blanket or a big fab scarf and stretch out in the sun between those rounds of food and drink.
Do you mailing list, bro?
No? Sign up now and don’t miss out! The mailing list is where we announce new events like our free Sunday Funday series in DTLA and other things you want to know like when discounted early bird tickets go on sale every year. Every once in a while we’ll send you an exclusive offer or tell you about a new spot you shouldn’t miss too. If you aren’t already on our mailing list, sign up (here on our website) and you’ll be the first to know!