Will Taste of Minnesota improve with new owners?

Vowing to revitalize and enhance a festival that has come to be seen as wilted by some, three Twin Cities businessmen announced yesterday their buyout of the Taste of Minnesota from St. Paul's Capital City Partnership.

It remains to be seen whether the change will truly breathe new life into the summer event. Details aren't ironed out. One thing we do know: now it's gonna cost you. While festival admission has in the past been free, it'll now set you back 10 bucks. This will include food and drink tickets though.

And what about the food? The offerings have led some to call the festival name misleading, with its fried cheese curds, cotton candy and turkey legs.

Partner Andy Faris expressed enthusiasm for festival entertainment, such as snagging local acts like Atmosphere (which would be great) and indie bands like Vampire Weekend (which would also be great), but less so about revolutionizing festival grub.

He mentioned recruiting Minnesota companies like Famous Dave's and Buffalo Wild Wings to sell food at the event. "We'd love to have them there," he says. "We've got just a tremendous amount of resources in the Twin Cities, both in great restaurants and great restaurant companies."

True dat.