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“We will bring back Taste in 2026,” if ongoing talks with potential sponsors and representatives from the city, provincial and federal governments yield results, said Tony Pethakas, chair of the BIA

“We’re hoping to have over a million people here again. We think we will, confidently. Would I love to surpass the 1.6 million (record)? Absolutely. It would be, like, what a great story,” said Pethakas.

Pethakas and Nick Karamitsos, secretary of the neighbourhood merchants’ group, broke a silence that had cloaked É«É«À²’s loss of the landmark festival in mystery and sparked concerns it would never come back. 

They have been busy, they said, fielding calls from potential sponsors, politicians and others that came flooding in after they confirmed the three-day August celebration of Greek food and other international fare would not happen last month.

“We’ve got a problem,” Karamitsos recalled telling Pethakas. People were demanding efforts to bring back Taste of the Danforth. “The people spoke, this is what they want.”

The festival was last held in 2023, after a three-year hiatus. Pethakas said it had become so large its “true grassroots authenticity” had become “compromised.” Outside vendors had to be brought in to absorb rising costs that, including private security, garbage collection and permits, soared to about $400,000.

Consultants had to be hired. Funds needed to be raised, sponsors and advertisers found. Merchants said there was a downside.

“We lost that neighbourhood feel,” said George Laganas, owner of Ellas Meat Market on Pape Avenue, who is not on the GreekTown BIA board. “When you see a Costco stand — what’s it doing there? But everything comes down to finances. It lost a bit of that intimacy that it had before.”

As all this was happening, veteran festival organizer Howard Lichtman, who had a dozen successful Taste of the Danforths under his belt, quit and sued the BIA for $236,884 in unpaid wages in 2021. The suit was settled last year. Lichtman said he couldn’t comment on the terms of the settlement. 

“That was before our time,” said Karamitsos, who was appointed in 2023. “We weren’t privy to that.” 

In an email to the Star, Lichtman, when asked if he would consider returning to organize Taste once more, said that you “never know what the future will bring.” 

“Howard was a rock star,” said Karamitsos. “When we figure out how we’re going to do this, and we put it out to tender, I hope Howard comes out, personally.” 

Things were shaky economically post-pandemic and traditional events sponsors, such as banks, were, and continue to be, less willing to put up the money to help host a festival in exchange for having their logos festooned on the street, added Karamitsos.

That’s where the group’s new Taste committee comes into play, he said. They’re charged, primarily, with securing enough money from sponsors to relaunch the festival. To that end, the group invited Justin Van Dette, a well-connected former political staffer, into the fold. . 

“I’ve been out connecting, finding out who the right people are to write to,” he said. “We’ve got to do that work now. We’ve got to apply for grants.” ” 

Pethakas said the BIA needs the support of all three levels of government if Taste is to reoccur. On the city side, festivals were given $3 million in municipal funding this year. The GreekTown BIA did not receive any of that pot. Mayor Olivia Chow said last month when the BIA is ready to host the Taste again, “the city is ready to support them.”

Pethakas and Karamitsos said while their goal for next year is to host the biggest Taste of the Danforth there’s ever been, if they only get enough money to host it in a park, so be it. 

“All it comes down to is dollars and cents,” said the BIA chair.