By Arsheeya Garg
Herald Intern
Local vendors in Oviedo count down the days to the 32nd annual “Taste of Oviedo” food festival highlighting the food and music. According to the Oviedo-Winter Springs Regional Chamber website, Taste of Oviedo began back in the 1990s as a small community festival to bring together the town and its patrons while displaying a fine arts and crafts area with live music, and a kid’s zone. Over the years, this event has seen a tremendous growth in size with recent events hosting many participants.
The festival will be held Saturday, March 7, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Oviedo Mall and will feature food vendors and family fun. For the first time, the Oviedo-Winter Springs Regional Chamber is highlighting the food through VIP Tasting Tents which is a ticketed experience for restaurants to highlight the absolute best of their cuisine. https://www.owsrcc.org/tasteofoviedo/tasteofoviedovendors/ )
“In 2025, just 4 restaurants inside Oviedo city limits paid to have a tent in the parking lot,” Mayor Megan Sladek said. “There are over 130 restaurants inside Oviedo city limits, meaning 3% of restaurants were represented. This year, just a couple weeks out from the event, only 3 Oviedo restaurants have signed up, 2 of which only serve dessert, and a 3rd which serves only drinks. The name no longer reflects what the event is."
The Chamber is excited in moving forward with the planning of their grand event.
Johana Ramirez, President and CEO of the Chamber for the past nine months, has been planning the strategic leadership to support the local businesses through new ventures.
“My favorite part is the new VIP Tasting Tent and the food-focused activities we are introducing this year. I also love that we will be announcing some fun surprises soon,” Ramirez said. “Overall, I believe people look forward to the way the entire community comes together to celebrate.”
This year, the chamber is expecting more attendees than last year, allowing for more exciting growth for the community overall.
“Last year, we welcomed approximately 18,000 attendees. This year, we are expecting around 20,000 people, which stands for exciting growth for the event,” Ramirez said. “We focused on being cost-effective and creative with our resources to enhance the event experience without increasing overall costs.”
The festival has free general admission and includes a ticketed price for those wishing to experience the VIP tasting tents the festivals.
For restaurants, the prices range anywhere from $150 to $400 for those wishing to display their goods as well as participation in the VIP tasting tents.
“We are always looking for ways to grow and improve. Next year, I would love to build on this success and make the event even more impactful for our community,” Ramirez said. “To support this, we collect attendee feedback through surveys, allowing us to make data-driven decisions across all of our initiatives and events.”
Mayor Sladek, however, is firm in her statements of the festival not reflecting the full choice of food Oviedo has to offer.
“If you want to get a true culinary Taste of Oviedo and you happen to be at the festival, your most efficient move would be walking inside the mall to try the food court, which is filled with mom and pop owned shop that serve great cuisine,” Mayor Sladek said. “There’s a pasta place where a guy who is really from Italy makes homemade pasta, a Mediterranean restaurant where guys who grew up in the Middle East makes the best hummus and falafel and lots more.”
Whether you decide to go the festival or try some food at the Oviedo mall, the city of Oviedo has a lot of great bites to offer, all ranging from different types of cuisines and over 130 restaurants.
