Street food : the ARRQ celebrates the 5th anniversary of First Fridays

MONTRÉAL, May 6, 2016 /CNW Telbec/ - The Association des restaurateurs de rue du Québec (ARRQ) will celebrate the 5^th anniversary of First Fridays at the Olympic Park on the occasion of the 1^st First Friday event of the 2016 season tonight, starting at 4:00 pm. This monthly event, which takes place from May to October at the Esplanade Financière Sun Life and which is proudly partnered with the City of Montreal and the Government of Quebec, brings together more than 50 trucks this year – a record for the association.    

"First Fridays, the largest street food festival in Canada, is renewing itself once again by bringing several major improvements that will maximize the experience of some 100,000 visitors each year," said Gaëlle Cerf, co-founder of the ARRQ.

The biggest terrace on the island of Montreal
Thanks to its new furnishings, there are now more than 2,000 seats available. Also, in addition to the Pays d'Oc IGP Wine Bar, which added 200 seats to its terrace, the Mill Street Bier Garten, inspired by German taverns, is making its debut. With that, the First Fridays event now has the largest terrace on the island of Montreal. To complement the range of refreshments offered, a cider tasting booth from Cidrerie du Minot is also on site.

Not one, but four concert stages
First Fridays will now have four concert stages to host shows powered by SiriusXM Canada. Each stage's programming will be unique, with a rotating mix of talent throughout the evening. To satisfy all musical tastes, two stages are devoted to emerging artists, one to DJs, and the fourth one is in the site's family area.

A cultural hub
First Fridays is invested in a grand idea – to showcase Montreal East. That's why a large portion of the programming is dedicated to the culture and different members of this unique part of the island - namely with a craft market. First Fridays will benefit from unparalleled visibility thanks to the participation of the Journal Metro and Zeste as broadcast partners. 

Eco-friendly food
For the last three years, street food trucks have been able to minimize their environmental footprint thanks to energy offsetting. This year, hundreds of trees will be distributed to the visitors attending the 5^th anniversary event in order to offset the trucks' environmental footprint for a year. The ARRQ is also intensifying its efforts towards a zero-waste policy with the use of compostable containers on trucks and organic material recovery measures during the events.

For more information, visit : http://cuisinederue.org/les-premiers-vendredis-2/

SOURCE Association des restaurateurs de rue du Québec

Frédérick Truchon-Gagnon, Cell. : 438-350-1001, [e-mail]; Jean-Alexandre D'Etcheverry, Cell. : 514-910-1328, [e-mail]