For their first event it was great! The funny thing about the guy who wanted more trucks and didn't…read morelike the tents and carts was I thought it was supposed to be ALL carts and vendors, HINT, "CART"chella. I was surprised to see any trucks, that would make it TRUCKchella. Rasta Tacos was awesome, Lee's Philly was a great surprise for me as it was the first time I had them (I thought it was going to be Philly sandwiches). COOLHAUS was one of my daughters favorites and Hula Girls Shave Ice was great as always, Island style and fluffy, best shave ice off Hawaii. They even had their famous Coconut / Mac-nut ice cream, yeah! It was great that they supported a local school, most of the non food vendors were local families. Cartchella was very family friendly unlike when you stand in a parking lot with 3 of the same trucks with different names. I hope they do it again next year and I know they will be bigger and better!

I stopped by Cartchella on my way home from South Coast plaza because I had been wanting to try…read moreRasta Taco for a while now. Cartchella was located in a park in Costa Mesa. The event had a very kick back vibe to it and had live music. There was a variety of food options but I went with Rasta. I got the two taco plate with rice and beans for $5. I enjoyed the tacos but the rice and beans weren't so good. The people working the beverage tent were funny and friendly. I was only at the event for about 20 minutes. Overall, I think it was a good event for a good cause.

I really enjoyed the taste of East Village…read more Its a great intimate setting. They close off 1st street between two intersection of Linden and Elm.. They brought in a great band! And they played the entire night. Ordinaire had a great short rib sandwich for $4. The nachos from Beachwood Brewery were great!

The Taste of Downtown-East Village featured 18 of the best restaurants, wine bars and breweries…read morethat DTLB has to offer. Each establishment served up smaller portions their tastiest dishes hoping to entice you to visit their brick and mortar locations. This year included Buono's Authentic Pizzeria, Modica's Deli, Famous Dave's BBQ, Breakfast Bar, Great Society Cider, Michael's Pizzeria along with other East Village restaurants and a few others. There was a lot to choose from, but I must agree with another reviewer in that there was a definite lack in ethnic foods, however I don't believe that it is the fault of the organizers. I'm sure that all downtown establishments are invited and many choose not to play. With our menus and food tickets in hand, we found ourselves meandering through the 2 areas festivities listening to great music while deciding on where to start. My $35 in tickets scored me a 6 course night that I can honestly say left me quite satisfied. It's a good thing that I'm running the LA Marathon on Sunday to burn some of these calories. Round 1: Pier 76 Fish Grill - Lobster Rolls and Cucumber Lemonade. Round 2: Padre - Ceviche on a Tostada and a Red Sangria. Round 3: Gladstone's - Lobster Mac n Cheese Round 4: Parkers Lighthouse- Cold Seafood Salad with a Citraholic IPA from Beachwood Brewery. Round 5: Back to Pier 76 for Clam Chowder. Round 6 Dessert: Cielo At The Sky Room - Dulce de Leche Creme Brûlée (x2) This years event began at the intersection of 1st and Linden and spread west on 1st Street to Elm St. and north on Linden to Broadway. The Linden side also included some artists booths, and all the great small businesses on both street remained open as well. Both sided also featured great music. This event is dog and family friendly. Free bike valet, great food and lots of beautiful people watching. Next up: Taste of Downtown-Pine Avenue.

Mixed emotions but overall it was a pretty cool event. Despite planning this event for 2 weeks and…read moreall the chaos. Once we finally got there...immediately after work we jetted over then over 1.5 hours of driving...we got turned away 15 minutes before the event was about to end. Determined not to leave empty handed, we spent our weekend to try again. Ambiance: * Parking | Good luck. If you are early, try looking for street parking. If not, buy your parking online and take the trolley/shuttle. * Feels | The location is wonderful. The experience on being on ships or being near water is quite refreshing. The activities were cool and the food trucks were delicious. I wish there was a more comfortable setup for the performers near the USS Iowa otherwise. It would have a been a good nap point as we were walking. Customer Service: * They responded an hour after I sent an e-mail. I was then able to be reimbursed. I am very glad they reimbursed me but my time couldn't. I wish they were able to compensate our return. Overall: * 3 stars. Immediately I was about to give them a one star. It was heart breaking to be turned away after all that effort. but I was fortunate to be reimbursed. I was fortunate enough to go the following day enjoy the craze, hype, and festivities. The food was good, being on ships was a cool experience, and that duck was quite huge. This rating would have been different if we weren't turned away (Yes we arrived 15 minutes prior closing but 1) We left immediately after work 2) The traffic was chaotic and waited for 2 hours 3) This staycation was planned 3 weeks prior). Advice: * Prepare accordingly to avoid traffic. and long lines (food/activities) * Try street parking if possible * Pack light * Great staycation if you are in LA area. Advice for Tallship Organizers: * Articulate clearer or define what is "closing" time on your agenda of events and what activities are specifically closing.

I saw it only fitting to write this review being that it is the first Saturday of the month and…read morethat means that it is the art walk in the Artists Village in Downtown Santa Ana tonight.... Alleged Arts Gallery is a cool tiny little spot in the basement of the Santora Arts building. It's always crowded in here! The live art shows are impressive and not to mention some of the collections that Ryan Miller and his group put together. On a couple occasions I noticed that they had tatter tots and PBJ'S and Pabst Blue Ribbon and Miller beer! No wine... I don't do beer.. But, it's not about me it's about this gallery! It's sometimes a bit too cramped up in here and that means heat! But, it is still worth a visit down to the basement of the Santora Building! First Saturday's in Downtown Santa Ana are fun!!! Oh, not to metion you can also buy art here as well..

Located in the basement of the Santora Arts Building, Alleged Arts is as low brow as they come…read more Ryan Miller and Gregg Coddington opened the 350 square foot space to showcase the art of friends and other up and coming artists. Openings coincide with the Santa Ana Artists Village Art Walk on the first Saturday of each month and are usually a group show revolving around a central theme. The current show isn't titled, but has a rock-n-roll theme. The work spans all mediums--acrylics, oils, photography, block prints, ink on paper. They don't keep regular hours but you can count on the first Saturday being a party. On top of basic snacks (tator tots, potato chips, tortilla chips and salsa, pretzes) they usually have a good supply of budweiser, natural ice, or schlitz.

Was so excited to check out my first neighborhood festival! Cinco De Mayo fest had plenty of…read moreentertainment, drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic), freebies, comida y carnival rides! It also featured a big main stage with flashy Banda bands playing that sweet circus music my lovely neighbor likes to blast at 7 a.m and sing his corazon to. There were also a lot of food companies promoting their products and handing out free samples or selling it for cheap. I scored a free full bottle of hot sauce! Definitely a clean, organized well run community event I'd recommend for families and anyone that's hungry.

This was my first time at this event but I was pleased to see that it was their 10th Anniversary…read moremixer in Orange County. The site was easy enough to find since it was held at the all-familiar OC Event Center. Parking was ample and quick with the attendants collecting the $5 fee and directing to appropriate places. Large balloons definitely showed the way to the check-in, another easy process. We got in without a hitch and were handed large tote bags full of informational goodies including a directory and map of the event which took up two hangars. Because we weren't there for sniping out particular companies, we neglected to look at the map (except for checking out where Yelp was located) and just proceeded inside to go in whichever direction we wanted. So much hubbub! Plenty of businesses inside were doing giveaways in exchange for business cards. Nothing wrong with that - it's a great tactic to collecting email addresses after all. I entered a few that seemed tempting. There were also lots of freebies and information to be collected. I noticed a huge presence of Chambers of Commerce; just about every OC one seemed represented there. That was fine and dandy in general but a bit targeted. It was definitely very expo-like (what more do you expect of the "Largest Mixer"?) with just a bit of food vendors inside giving out samples. Most people were very friendly, and it looks like a good place for budding businesses to show off their wares. I enjoyed myself there by meeting everyone though I'm hesitant to think that they remembered everyone! It was also a little strange because as friendly as many were, the business of the event was for both the vendors and the attendees to "sell" themselves to each other. Talk about mental pressure to make that sale! Luckily for me, I was just there to say hi =]. I'd definitely come back again to see what other types of exhibitors will be there in following years.

It's a great opportunity if you are either a business owner or a professional. There is a great…read morechance to meet people with similar interests, find business ideas and connect with owners or promoters. There is also a "speed connection" event that happens every hour or so, but you can just go from booth to booth and look for potential opportunities for business or just to connect. They sell beer and other drinks and some snacks, but there will be food samples around too. For only $10 it's totally worth it, you can finish it in a half an hour or you can spend all night here, depending on how productive this is for you. It's pretty well organized , except the long line for online tickets holders. If you buy tickets on the spot you get to walk right in, but they'll probably address this in the future.

We found out about the event through friends on Facebook. There were a total of 8 of us. We…read morepreordered our tickets so only paid 10. It was well worth the price, especially with the goody bag. There were lots of food choices, ranging from $2-$10. We loved the cavery and the loco taco. In addition to food booths there were T-shirt booths, a spice booth, chiropractor booths and a natural soap booth. My husband went to some of the seminars and especially liked Nicks. There was beer and wine, of course not paleo, but good. We stayed 4 hours and hung out with family and friends. We will definitely do it again!

I heard about this food event, Taste of Paleo, from my crossfit gym. It sounded intriguing:" Taste…read moreof Paleo is the first ever paleolithic (aka Caveman diet) food tasting festival of its kind, providing an environment in which members of the paleo community come together to celebrate the paleo lifestyle and enjoy an event like no other." I was excited to attend because of the "sampling tasty paleo creations" that I have yet to discover and the food competition between the chefs. In addition, the event also featured speakers that spoke on topics like "keeping it paleo without recipes" and "stress." I liked learning more about paleo from the knowledgable speakers. If the purpose of the event is to educate people about paleo lifestyle, then I think it achieved that. However, this event publicized itself as a food event where people can walk from booth to booth, "sampling tasty paleo creations." It unfortunately fell short of that. The event had limited food vendors that offered samples. In addition, it costs $15 to attend, which is hefty for what it offered--limited food vendors and not so tasty food. The booths that sold food and were part of food competition were okay. The food from the booths did not blow me away. It was a good first attempt. The idea of having a food festival for paleo lovers is great, but there are areas for improvements that the organizers need to work on for the next one.

This was my first year attending this event and it was quite fun…read more First of all, it's quick and easy to get to the event. Park, enter the hotel, walk upstairs, and there it is. Since it's held inside, it's a bit stuffy and can get crowded. It was packed when I arrived. This event is based on tickets. There are plenty of vendors and lots of tastings from the park itself plus some local business since it's also a business expo. I spent most of my tickets on the sweets vs the savory but still had fun. You can take a break from the fun and enjoy some of the presentations. There is water on the side and that's the coolest spot as well. Some more water stations would have been nice vs just the one. In the future, I suggest they do one entrance fee with unlimited tastings. That's how most of them work like Taste of Anaheim etc. Either way it was still fun.

Great annual event that happens at the Knott's Berry Farm Hotel. Put on by the West Orange County…read moreChamber of Commerce, the event supports local businesses and provides a great opportunity for guests to come out and sample some fantastic food! Plus, a portion of proceeds will be benefiting "Giving Children Hope" dedicated to alleviating poverty.