‘Curd pong,’ five-pound challenge and more await attendees of Brockville’s Poutine Fest this weekend

You may want to save your appetite for this weekend because the 2024 Poutine Feast is returning to town.

Poutine Feast is Canada’s largest touring poutine food truck festival, and this week from Aug. 15 to 18, they’re once again setting up at Brockville’s Centennial Park.

This four-day family fun event promises much more than just an abundance of Canada’s signature savoury dish. Emcee and co-owner of Poutine Feast, Dave Conway, spoke with Brockvilleist to share more about what festival goers can expect.

Conway explained that he and his best friend originally got the idea to start up their own food festival in 2018.

“My friend was going to a lot of festivals and he asked me if I thought we could create our own. I’m a marketing guy, so I said I’d throw the idea online and see what happens. A week later, I told him there were about 10,000 people online who wanted us to do this so I said, let’s get it done.”

Attendees can expect many different food trucks including a concession, mini donuts, lemonade, and four different poutine trucks serving many unique variations of the famous Canadian delicacy. Conway shared that the event will also host various children’s activities, games, and contests.

“It really is a family-friendly event where all children’s stuff is free, you just pay for what you eat and enjoy your day with the family.”

On Thursday evening, Conway will put on a “five-pound poutine challenge” where he will search for people at the festival who think they can eat five full pounds of poutine. If they’re successful, they get to take home a trophy.

On Friday evening, organizers put on a “curd-pong” competition, which Conway explained is loosely inspired by beer pong but uses cheese curds. The party will truly get started on Saturday night as locals with a special talent are invited to sign up for “15 minutes of poutine fame” at the open-mic night.

Sunday will see the festival come to a close with the final poutine competition, decided by six to 10 local judges pulled from the crowd.  

“All of our poutine makers put their best poutines out and the judges get to decide which one is their favourite,” explained Conway. 

Brockville’s Poutine Feast is running at 98 Water Street West from Thursday, Aug. 15 to Saturday, Aug. 17 between 11 a.m. and 9 p.m. and on Sunday, Aug. 18 from 11 to 6 p.m.