October in Tucson is very special — not because it marks the beginning of fall or because we get to celebrate Halloween. October means Tucson Meet Yourself is back.

Every year, thousands flock to downtown Tucson to try traditional foods and flavors from all over the world, experiencing art and performances along the way. There’s no doubt you’ll leave the festival full and with a smile on your face.

For three days, over 50 vendors will be serving up savory and sweet treats from various cultures. With 14 new booths this year, choosing what to try will be one of the hardest decisions you’ll have to make.

To help you make the most out of Tucson Eat Yourself, we put together a list that gives you the inside scoop on what you can expect at this year's festival.

Tucson Meet Yourself takes place at Jácome Plaza, 101 N. Stone Ave., from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday-Saturday, Oct. 4-5 and from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 6. The weekend will be jam-packed with car shows, pop-up exhibits, demonstrations, folk artists and music in addition to the food.

New this year

BarDown Fitness & Nutrition

This new vendor has everything you need to keep hydrated, putting a pep in your step while you explore the festival. They will be selling protein shakes, fruit smoothies, sugar-free energy drinks, fresh lemonades, fresh limeades and cold brew coffee. They also have vegan and gluten-free options for their drinks.

Belicious Waffles

The owners behind Belicious Waffles were born and raised in Borgloon, Belgium and moved to Tucson in 2014. Thankfully, they brought their delicious, fluffy waffles with them! At Belicious Waffles’ booth you’ll be able to enjoy Belgium waffles topped with sweets like homemade Belgian chocolate, Speculoos biscuits, bacon bits, fruit and whipped cream.

Bollywood Pizza Company

Saffron Indian Bistro and Empire Pizza have teamed up to fuse together great pizza with classic Indian flavors. Chicken tikka masala, vegan chana masala and vegetarian paneer tikka masala flatbreads are all on the menu. You can also get rice bowls or salads if you’re not in the mood for pizza.

David’s Outdoor Kitchen BBQ

This booth has all your barbecue and soul food cravings covered! David’s Outdoor Kitchen BBQ transformed their father’s front yard into a mini restaurant, making customers feel at home while they chow down on comfort food. For the festival, they will be serving BBQ ribs, brisket, fried catfish, fried shrimp, mac and cheese bites, fried okra and more!

Doshirok Korean

Try a taste of Korean favorites at this booth! The food truck will be serving bulgogi beef, which is sliced angus beef marinated in bulgogi sauce and served with fried rice, fried mandoo and kimchi. Chicken bulgogi will also be on the menu.

El Antojo Poblano

This beloved Mexican restaurant is bringing their delicious food from Puebla, Mexico to the festival for the first time. Huaraches (long fried corn tortillas with a layer of beans topped with your choice of meat), tacos ahogados (fried rolled shredded beef tacos in green sauce) and molotes ceilbeños (handmade fried corn masa balls stuffed with chicken in red sauce) will be served here. They will also be selling tepache bebidas, which is a fermented drink made from pineapple peels, rinds and sweetened with piloncillo.

El Golden Taco

You can never go wrong with tacos! At El Golden Taco you can choose between fried tacos, flautas and quesadillas. You can pair your meal with a fresh agua fresca. Flavors include piña, horchata and mango.

Espressoul Café

Eris Movahedi is the mastermind behind Espressoul café, where she makes vegan espresso lattes, matcha lattes and refreshers. Take it from me, it’ll be worth standing in line to try one of her creative drinks. The blueberry lavender matcha latte is one of my favorite drinks ever!

Hungry Kephua

Try food from Guam at this booth with a festival menu that includes Chamoru chicken or beef with white rice and finadene (a Chamoru vinegar and soy sauce sauce). You can also order coconut chicken or beef that also comes with white rice, finadene and a coconut sauce.

OaxaRico

Mole. That’s it — that should be all you need to hear. This food truck serves up Oaxacan favorites like mini chimis and flautas, gorditas, sopes and burros. You can also get their homemade mole sauce on the side to add some extra flavor to your meal. They will also be serving their molotes, an empanada-like dish where chorizo and potatoes are stuffed into a dough made from corn. They taste like Mexican comfort food, making you want more even after finishing the three you’re given.

Purple Devil Donuts

You’ve never had doughnuts like these before. This classic cake doughnut truck incorporates unique flavors. You start with a vanilla cake doughnut, then you get to choose which handmade topping you want, including honey and green chile cornbread, chocolate and pecan praline, coffee and mesquite streusel, prickly pear and lime yogurt meringue and hibiscus sugar.

Purple Tree Truck

It’s hard to believe it’s this famous purple truck’s first time at Tucson Meet Yourself! Purple Tree specializes in acai bowls and smoothies. Their menu also includes mushroom coffee, Vietnamese coffee, kombucha, ginger shots, milkshakes and ice cream sandwiches.

Samurai Sombrero

You many have seen Samurai Sombrero at American Eat Co., and now they are bringing their spicy sushi to the festival! This local favorite fuses Japanese and Mexican flavors together to create sushi like you have never had before. They will have specialty rolls for sale as well as vegan sushi.

Tucson Eat Yourself Sonoran Hot Dogs

This Sonoran hot dog booth helps support the festival. All of the proceeds will go to the production of the festival so it can continue to be free for all.

Returning vendors

Acai Paradise

At Acai Paradise, you will be able to enjoy a nice, refreshing acai bowl topped with fruit. Banana, kiwi, strawberries, mango, pineapple, coconut and Nutella are all toppings you can find here.

Boriken Modern Puerto Rican Cuisine

Chef Carlos and Jackeline Garcia run Boriken, where they use heirloom recipes to serve up delicious Puerto Rican meals. You’ll be able to order Boricua nachos, which are made with plantain chips and roasted pork, or an empanada sampler that comes with three different choices. They will also be serving carne frita con mofongo aka fried pork with garlic mashed plantains.

Café Francais

For the last three years, Café Francais has been bringing mouthwatering pastries to the festival — and this year is no different! They are known for their authentic French pastries that give themselves a big name on Tucson’s east side. Their menu includes mini Kouign-amann, chocolate raspberry tarts, chocolate croissants, brioche cinnamon rolls, chocolate chip crookies and almond croissants. (Trust me, you won’t want to miss out on their crookies, which are croissants with chocolate chip cookie dough rolled inside.)

Che Café Empanadas Argentinas

At this booth, you be able to choose from all kinds of empanadas. On their menu this year are beef, chicken, spinach, sweet corn and pizza empanadas.

Churros Inzunza

It’s not a festival without churros. Churros Inzunza serves up vegan and gluten-free churros as well as choco flan, fried plantains, cinnamon rolls, coconut horchata and more!

Cocina Oaxaqueña

José Toledo, an El Espinal native, learned about Oaxacan cuisine from his grandmother and mother. In fact, his recipes, including his mole recipe, were passed down from generation to generation in his family. Now he gets to share his love for the food with us! At the Cocina Oaxaqueña booth, you’ll be able to get tamal Oaxaqueños, quesadillas and enchiladas de queso con mole.

CP’s Wings

Classic buffalo wings always hit the spot! This booth will be serving up chicken wings, chicken sandwiches, French fries and veggies.

Eatgypt

Come to this booth to try Egypt’s national dish, koshary. For those who may be unfamiliar, koshary is a vegan dish made up of rice, pasta, lentils, crispy fried onions and chickpeas, topped with a vinegary tomato sauce. They will also be serving bamia (an Egyptian stew), baklava and karkade (a drink made with hibiscus, lemon juice and sugar).

Empanadas El Dominicano

You may have seen this royal-blue food truck on Broadway and Rosemont serving up delicious empanadas. If you haven’t stopped by yet, here’s your chance! The menu includes various empanadas, fried pork chops, fried plantains with salami, and yaroa, which includes fries with ground meat, cheese, ketchup and mayo. I LOVE their ground meat empanadas and plantains. I would also recommend their morir soñando drink, which tastes like a refreshing, creamy lemonade.

Ensenada Street Food

This woman-owned taco truck is bringing Baja, California to Tucson Meet Yourself! Not only are their street tacos flavorful, but they also have vegan versions so everyone can enjoy! Al pastor, quesabirria and fish are all tacos you’ll be able to order here. Their al pastor is the perfect combination of sweet and savory.

Food 2 Door Catering

Food 2 Door Catering specializes in flavorful Persian food and saffron ice cream. Their menu this year includes kashk bademjan (an appetizer made of sauteed eggplants, onion, garlic and dried mint) and chicken kabobs. They will also be selling saffron sharbat, a beverage made of rose water, saffron and chia seeds. It was a fan-favorite last year!

Friesy

Friesy does not hold back when it comes to loaded fries. They have so many varieties, each topped with meat or chicken cooked to perfection. Their Dynamite Fries were the best thing I ate at the festival last year, with crispy fried chicken and a spicy sauce that added a nice kick to the dish.

Hawaiian Shave Ice

What’s a better way to beat the heat than with shaved ice? Hawaiian Shave Ice has 26 flavors including two sugar-free options. You can also top off your icy treat with li hing powder, sweetened condensed milk or chamoy.

Herculean Chicken

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Get a taste of Taiwanese street food at Herculean Chicken, known for their Taiwanese-style fried chicken. You can even add ramen crust to your chicken for an extra $2.

J’s Kettle Corn

You can’t have a festival without kettle corn! Grab bags of kettle corn and cotton candy at this booth.

Kingston Kitchen

Kingston Kitchen is serving up all the classic Jamaican dishes like jerk chicken, oxtail, fried plantains, curry chicken and curry goat.

Lajkonik Polish Folk Ensemble

The Lajkonik Polish Folk Ensemble have been serving up Polish dishes since the festival’s second year. Kielbasas, pierogis and potato pancakes are all on the menu. If you are craving something sweet, they will also be selling nalesniki, which is sweet cheese crepes topped with whipped cream.

Laos Academic Organization

At this booth, you'll find egg rolls, fried rice, papaya salad, chicken sticks, sticky rice and Laos sweet tea.

Los Chiquilines Aguas Frescas

You can never go wrong with horchata. Los Chiquilines makes refreshing aguas frescas in flavors like jamaica, limonada, sandía, tamarindo, horchata, mango and piña.

MAD Filipino Cooking

This booth has both sweet and savory Filipino dishes to choose from. Their menu features items like pancit, lumpia, turon, chicken skewers and siomai. If you want something sweet, they will also have white chocolate chip ube cookies and palamig, a traditional sweet and chilled drink.

Malta Joe’s Baked Goods

Malta Joe is known for his pastizzis, a Maltese pastry made with phyllo dough and filled with savory filings. At his booth, you’ll be able to get pastizzis with filings like ricotta cheese, spilt pea and curry, pinchi bean, blueberry cheesecake and Nutella cream.

Merhaba Café

At Merhaba Café, you’ll be able to try Middle Eastern coffee that is brewed with a modern twist. You can order cardamom and saffron coffee, along with pistachio coffee. They also make ice cream with unique flavors like cardamom and rosewater.

Moreno’s Roasted Corn

Stop by and try roasted corn at this booth.

Natalka Ukrainian Bakery

The family behind this booth hand-make over 10,000 dumplings (pierogis) for the festival, starting two months in advance to ensure they make enough. Aside from their pierogis, their menu also includes Ukrainian borscht soup, nalysnyky crepes and uzvar, a traditional drink made out of dried fruits and honey.

O’odham Ladies

These women make Indian fry bread using a recipe that has been handed down to them from their elders. The best part of their popovers: they can be savory or sweet! You’ll be able to get popovers topped with powdered sugar and cinnamon or red chile and beans.

Off the Hook Seafood

This booth is adding some Southern flare to their seafood. Their menu includes fish, shrimp, boudin balls, soft shell crab and calamari.

Order of Ahepa Greek Food

This booth has been at Tucson Meet Yourself since 1974, raising money for local charities and to help provide scholarships for students in the Greek community. They will be serving up classic Greek dishes like gyros, spanakopita, dolmades and baklava.

Pam’s Kitchen

Pam’s Kitchen is making the dishes that brought their family together, using their mother’s recipes to create delicious food. Curry chicken, jerk chicken, curry goat and oxtail are all on the menu.

Patricia’s Cuban Kitchen

Born and raised in Cuba, Patricia Espinosa came to live in Tucson and continued to make Cuban food to bring back memories of her childhood. Now, she’s sharing her beloved food with us! Dishes like ropa vieja, empanadas, plantains, ham croquettes, guava pie and polvorones (shortbread cookies) will be on the menu.

Pupuseria Rosita’s

Try all kinds of Salvadoran pupusas at this booth! Cheese, pork, bean, spinach and squash are all the different fillings offered.

Ricuras de Venezuela

This booth specializes in authentic Venezuelan cuisine, using their mother’s recipes to create the traditional dishes. They will be serving arepas, cachapa, specialty plates with chicken or shredded beef, and empanadas.

Salima’s Bakery

The family behind Salima’s Bakery is bringing rich flavors from Uzbekistan and Republic of Georgia to the festival. Their menu includes hachapuri (a flatbread with cheese and spinach), walnut cookies with caramel, baklava, pilav rice with carrots and beef, and cinnamon rolls.

San Xavier Cooperative Farm

This Tohono O’odham booth is bringing farm-to-table food, using naturally-grown and ethically-harvested ingredients. They will be serving up food from the Sonoran Desert, Tohono O’odham-style.

Sema Foundation

Not only is the Sema Foundation a nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing local communities together, but they also share Turkish food with us! Their festival menu includes gyros, kofte kabap, chicken shawarma, gozleme, hummus and Turkish coffee.

Solid Grindz

Solid Grindz is another beloved local restaurant that’s making its way to the festival. This year, they will be serving chicken teriyaki, chicken katsu, kalua pork, mochiko chicken, kalbi short ribs and bang shrimp. My favorite is the bang shrimp; they are perfectly crispy and spicy!

Sonoran Delights

Everyone loves raspados! Sonoran Delights will be selling raspados in flavors like mango, strawberry, pineapple, peach and coconut. They will also have ice cream and pepihuates, and you have the choice to top your treats with chamoy and lime.

Syrian Sweets by Nihad

You’ll be able to try a variety of Syrian sweets at this booth! Stuffed bread with spinach will also be on the menu.

Takoyaki Balls

Since 2015, these octopus dumplings have been a festival favorite! Along with their famous dumplings, they will also be serving gyozas, Japanese curry rice, katsu curry and onigiri.

Tucson Afghan Community

At Tucson Afghan Community’s booth, they are hoping to bring smiles to our faces with their traditional cuisine. Rice, chickpeas, chicken curry, chapli kabobs and khajoor (sweet fried cookies) are just some of items on their menu.

Tucson Tea Company

A variety of caffeinated and caffeine-free teas, in addition to French pastries can be found at this booth.

UA Chinese Student Association

Have you ever wanted to try diner-style Chinese food? Now’s your chance! The CSA will be selling rice rolls, curry fish balls, Hong Kong-style French toast and bubble waffles. They also have a variety of milk tea and boba options. (The French toast is my editor Gloria's favorite every year.)

UA Filipino American Student Association

For over a decade, FASA has been serving up Filipino treats at Tucson Meet Yourself. This year, they will be offering pork skewers, lumpia, ube bibingka (Filipino rice cakes) and calamansi refreshers.

UA Vietnamese Student Association

Get fresh, traditional Vietnamese food and drinks at this booth! Chicken or pork skewers, banh mi, egg rolls, chicken or pork bun thit nuong, Vietnamese iced coffee and limeades are all on the menu.

Wat Buddhametta

This booth has been serving up Thai food at the festival for over 20 years. Their menu includes pad Thai, stir fried rice, egg rolls, fried bananas and Thai iced tea.