Update: High temps move Taste of Iowa City to Tuesday

Editor's Note: With temperatures expected well above 90 degrees this week, Taste of Iowa City, originally slated for Wednesday night, has been postponed until Tuesday, Aug. 29.

The Taste of Iowa City returns for its 15th year on Wednesday, solidifying its spot as one of Iowa City's tastiest traditions.

The event, organized by the Iowa City Downtown District and sponsored by Midwest One Bank, is held during Engaged Hawkeye Week as a way to introduce students to the diverse dining opportunities throughout campus.

"It's a wonderful way to show the strong connection between the campus and the community and a way for new students to see what Iowa City has to offer, but also a great way for restaurants to introduce themselves to the students," said Katie Carpenter, Director of Special Events at Iowa City Downtown District.

Taste of Iowa City will be held downtown 4 -8 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 23. Tickets can be purchased online before the event and are available for pick up at the  Iowa City Downtown District office or Midwest One Bank downtown. Six ticket booths will be scattered throughout downtown as well as on the north side. The $1 ticket strips include five tickets which can be exchanged for food and beverages.

Midwest One Bank is giving 500 ticket strips away to University of Iowa Students in partnership with The University of Iowa Campus Activities Board. Students can present their student IDs starting at 4 p.m. Wednesday outside of the Pentacrest to try and get free tickets.

"I would show up at 4 p.m. because those usually sell out pretty quickly," said Carpenter.

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Expanding young palates

Taste of Iowa City will feature more than 50 local eateries ranging from Iowa City classics like Bread Market Garden and Quinton's Bar & Deli, to newcomers like Taco Depot.

Taco Depot, a Cedar Rapids favorite, recently opened up a location in Iowa City in late June. The Iowa City Taco Depot, the establishment's fourth location, hopes to become a local hot spot.

"We are looking forward to getting new customers [at The Taste of Iowa City] and letting our food talk for itself," said Manager Josue Ramirez. "We want to show customers this is the place they can go and enjoy."

Get in the groove with live music

Taste of Iowa City is more than just exploring diverse foods. This year's event will offer live entertainment from two local artists, Justin Goodchild and James Tutson and the Rollback.

Goodchild, who released his first solo album earlier this year, works at the University of Iowa School of Music as the facilities manager at Voxman.

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"Iowa City is a place where you always run into people you know. Everywhere I go, especially events like this, there is always people out and about," said Goodchild. "You'll see familiar faces, and it is a chance as an outsider to try all the food downtown; I think that is a cool thing to do."

Jessica Rish is an entertainment, dining and business reporter for the Iowa City Press-Citizen. She can be reached at JRish@presscitizen.com.

This article originally appeared on Aberdeen News: What to know about the 15th annual Taste of Iowa City event