Life's a Beach | Expat Life in Playa del Carmen

After five fantastic and delicious events, the Executive Committee has decided that the 5th Anniversary year of Taste of Playa will be its last. Executive Chairperson, Monica Hartlief confirmed this decision to me last night by phone before making the public announcement this morning.

An official statement from the Executive Committee reads: "It has been an extremely rewarding experience and our pleasure to have supported the community with an event that promoted local restaurants and businesses. We are very proud of the success of Taste of Playa and we each look forward to pursuing new projects in the future."

Taste of Playa has celebrated five successful, consecutive years; each year drawing thousands of local and international visitors to Playa del Carmen's iconic Parque Fundadores. The event has provided an elegant showcase for as many as 40 restaurants and beverage purveyors annually, highlighting the unique culinary perspectives of local chefs and venues to the visiting public.

When Taste of Playa was conceived, the hope was that it would grow over the years to become a real destination event, something that travelers make their plans around in order to be able to attend. The intention was to shorten the usual "low season" by a week or two and put some much needed cash into the pockets of local businesses. And so it was. As Taste of Playa grew and became more well known, certainly the participants saw the benefits but so to did the local hotel owners, shop keeps, taxi drivers and tour guides. In the end, I think the whole city benefited from the event! The committee members have a lot to be proud of.

As a founding member of Taste of Playa and as a corporate sponsor for all five years, I know how much planning, organization and effort this event requires. It is an enormous commitment of time and energy that I think few people can accurately assess from the outside. While I was sad to hear the committee's decision, I can certainly empathize and I wish them all well in their future pursuits.

If for one have great memories of each event...all the delicious food and tasty cocktails from our restaurant and bar participants, the music, the crowds, our special guests and even the electrical malfunctions! Most importantly, I will look back fondly on my time as a committee member and the wonderful collaboration with a group of really smart people who I am proud to call my friends.

For most, the event will be all about the food. But for me, Taste of Playa will always be about the wonderful people I worked with and met along the way. This is what I will remember best about Taste of Playa.  

Michele Kinnon and her husband Rob are the owners of BuyPlaya Real Estate Advisors and FurnitureMEX, both based in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. Michele is a member of Rotary Club of Playa del Carmen Seaside, the organizer of Kick 4 Kids and participated on the founding committee for Taste of Playa, the Riviera Maya's largest and longest running culinary festival. She also supports numerous local non-profit organizations, blogs, writes local interest articles and administrates the Riviera Maya Events Calendar. Michele and Rob have lived in Playa del Carmen with their two children since 2004. Follow her updates on Google+.