Thousands turned out for the Taste of Bloomington food festival Saturday after the weather cleared up in time for most of the event to continue as planned.

This year organizers expanded the festival to a larger area and added 25 vendors and a third music stage at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater. 

Listen: What to expect at this year's Taste of Bloomington

“I think adding the music is a big draw," said retired IU professor Barbara Hawkins, who attended previous iterations of the festival in previous decades.

“I think I came maybe early on when they had it, but I hadn't been in years and years, and it was wonderful.  I will come again. There's no doubt I'll come again,” she said.  

Pouring rain Saturday afternoon gave the event a slow start but Hawkins said she brought her grandchildren downtown as it began to clear up.

Hawkins’ grandson Keegan Johnson listed some of his favorite stops.

“We went to this, like, this ice popsicle place that was really good," Johnson said. “It’s probably the best popsicles I ever tasted. I got the strawberry lemonade.” 

Organizers rebooted the festival last year after a 5-year hiatus due to the pandemic.