SAN JOSE, Calif. (KGO) — The West Coast Taco and Beer Festival, organized by Blue Stream Entertainment, has been postponed following widespread criticism of a similar event held in San Francisco last weekend.
The San Francisco edition of the festival, which promised attendees unlimited taco samples and bottomless beer tastings, failed to meet expectations, leading to significant backlash. Attendees, including San Francisco resident Susie Tanamly, reported dissatisfaction with the event, likening it to the infamous Fyre Festival. Tanamly, who paid $96 for a VIP ticket, questioned where the ticket revenue had gone.
Vendor complaints added to the chaos, with some stating they were not informed they were expected to provide free taco samples and had not prepared accordingly. This lack of preparation led to long lines and underwhelming experiences for attendees.
Following numerous complaints and scrutiny, Yelp disabled comments on the event’s page while investigating. The event organizer, Brandon Mozley of Live Free Events and Blue Stream Entertainment, announced they are accepting refund requests and has issued a statement addressing the issues.
“We are working on improvements to the future San Jose event,” Mozley stated. “We will update everyone once we have our new date confirmed and will be reaching out to current ticket holders for the next steps and refunds.”
Melanie McGovern from the Better Business Bureau (BBB) emphasized the importance of vigilance when dealing with potential scams. She advised consumers to be cautious of new or inactive social media accounts claiming to offer customer service and to report any concerns to the BBB.
“File a written complaint with us so we can open a file and see what’s going on,” McGovern recommended. “It’s essential to do checks if the account has few followers or looks brand new.”
