I can’t remember the last time I got this excited about fair food. Seriously, people. Forecastle is doing this right. Take notes. Learn a lesson. Please, for the love of all things good, replicate it.

For those of you who aren’t lucky enough to be downtown with me right now, I am shocked to report you’re missing out on some genuinely fantastic food. Yes, really. Instead of the usual generic funnel cakes and the deep fried butter that made my arteries harden just from looking at it during Thunder Over Louisville, Forecastle’s food vendors are all local restaurants.

This shouldn’t be a shock. Louisville has one of the best restaurant scenes in the country. Today, you can get the most affordable things I’ve ever seen from Basa Modern Vietnamese. Walk a few steps for a vegan curry bowl, or a few more for fresh made falafel and hummus. Sure, you can get a burger, but at the same stand you can also get a grilled portabello mushroom sandwich with fresh sweet potato fries. Here’s the kicker - everything is around $5-7, which is exactly what I pay for craptastic generic festival food every other time I’m at the waterfront.

Listen up, Louisville festivals! These are local restaurants serving local food to people at a local festival. If Forecastle can do it, so can you. Step up your act and stop serving us nothing but corndogs and funnel cakes.

Now excuse me while I get some curry and go listen to more music.

Image credit Chris-Rachael Oseland.