Cheese whizzes abound at the 2018 Sactown Nachos Festival

The Sactown Nachos Festival is back this summer after its inaugural event last August proved to be love at first bite for cheese lovers.

On the heels of producing a successful debut, which attracted nearly 3,200 nacho aficionados, festival founder Brent Sands is preparing to welcome a larger crowd of foodies to Caesar Chavez Plaza on Aug. 25 by hosting almost 20 purveyors on-site creating special, off-the-menu tortilla chip dishes.

For example, Gameday Grill will serve grilled tri-tip nachos topped with applewood-smoked bacon, jalapeño, sour cream and green onions, while Azteca Street Tacos will whip up a version with a carne asada-style topping. Herbivores can head toward Vegan Van 916 for a creative concoction from owner Ian Carty, who will top off the crispy tortilla triangles with soy protein-based ground beef and a plant-based cheese sauce, made from a blend of carrots, onions and potatoes, and those with a sweet tooth can satisfy their cravings at Cowtown Creamery, which will offer dessert waffle cone chips loaded with ice cream, spicy mango sauce, butter toffee and more.

Festivalgoers can also vote for their favorites in a nachos contest (last year's winner Chando's Tacos will return with the same traditionally topped dish—cheese, guacamole, salsa, sour cream, pico de gallo and a choice of meat—to defend its title)​, head to a beer garden for some cold cerveza and margaritas, or dance to live music from Bay Area-native Baby Bash, a Mexican-American rapper. Rounding out the performance lineup will be local neo-soul songstress Yelly and pop musician Vince Vicari. Proceeds will go to the local nonprofit Project Optimism, which connects mentors with at-risk youth.

Sactown Nachos Festival will take place on Aug. 25 from 4-8:30 p.m. at Cesar Chavez Plaza (910 I St.). Entrance fee is $10 in advance and $15 at the door. A $40 VIP pass includes access to a special viewing area during Baby Bash’s performance and VIP lounge, two drink tickets and a T-shirt. sactownnachos.com

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