Mark your calendars kids, the Vendy Awards—the Oscars of Street Food!—are coming back sooner than you think. The date is set (September 15), early bird tickets are on sale (here) and, oh yeah, there is even a new award coming to the venerable love fest which is now entering its eighth year.
See, because of the boom of market-based vendors who don't have a truck to call their own, this year the Awards (which are run by The Street Vendor Project, a part of the Urban Justice Center) are adding a category for "best market vendor." We blame Smorgasburg. Explains Helena Tubis, the awards managing director, "It’s totally captured the public’s attention, both mobile street food and these newer marketplaces."
So how does a street vendor get nominated for the awards? Why, you the people nominate them, silly. It only takes a minute, just fill out this form here. In addition, the Vendys are also taking nominations for their "Most Heroic Vendor Award," which is described thus:
to recognize the non-culinary contributions vendors make to New York City. From spotting car bombers in Times Square (yes, that was a vendor) to helping old people cross the street, vendors make hundreds of small contributions each day that go unrecognized. But not for long.
Oh, you don't want to nominate someone you just want to eat all the good food? That's fine too. You can buy your tickets to the September 15 event on Governors Island (sigh, we remember when it was on Fourth Street) in advance right now. Early bird tickets start at $80 (we remember when they were $35). Judges this year include Kate Krader, Eddie Huang and Das Racist. Buy now though, this baby will sell out! We promise.
