LAHORE: Chilly winter evenings, food and music are without a doubt a winning combination and this season’s Coke Fest is perhaps the perfect encapsulation of this.
The third season of the nation’s biggest food and music festival, Coca-Cola Food and Music Festival, in short, Coke Fest, kicked off in Lahore on Friday as people flocked to Lake City to attend the first day of the three-day event. Considering that Lake City is almost 40 kilometres away from central Lahore, I have to say I was surprised to see the number of people who had turned up at the event. However, given the electric and energetic atmosphere, my surprise was short-lived. I had an absolute blast at the event as I sampled a variety of different cuisines and flavours and enjoyed the upbeat music.
Whether with friends or with family or with both, here’s why you should also go to this season’s Coke Fest in Lahore:
Food
This reason is pretty self-explanatory. Just imagine stalls and stalls of food, each made with a unique flavour – it’s like food heaven on Earth. Whether you’re craving pizza, burgers, Chinese, kababs, fish, wraps, shawarmas, fries, cheesecake, ice-cream or brownies there is something for everyone. Plus, this is probably the only weekend in the year where you don’t have to fight with your family or friends over what to eat.
While most of the stalls were set up by local restaurants and cafes, a good number of home-based businesses were also present. Most of those had sweet items, including an assortment of the popular Lotus biscuits cakes, which means that a sugar rush followed by a sugar coma is guaranteed. In any case, what is better than that?
Our picks: The beef burgers from Burger Maestro were scrumptious. The beef patty was crispy and the delectable mix of sauces was delicious.
Burger Maestro
Doritos chaat and the Paratha Crunch Wrap at the Awesamosas stall presented an interesting fusion of desi and western cuisine.
Cupcakes and biscuit delights at the Peak Freans Cafe were absolutely delicious. Who knew, these biscuits could make the most delightful desserts ever. Don’t forget to try the Rocky Road made from their chocolate chip cookies.
Desserts from Myn’s Creamery and Mr Waffles are also worth a mention as is the fried ice cream from The Food Architects.
And lastly, warm yourself or finish off your #MissionFood with a refreshing cup of tandoori chai from the Spice of Kashmir.
Music
The event features live concerts by some of Pakistan’s most finest singers and musicians. The first day saw Abrarul Haq, Waqar Ehsin and Rizwan Butt take the stage and perform their popular songs. Their upbeat and catchy music had the crowd tapping their feet in no time and scores of people across the venue danced along to the music. Abrar’s concert particularly stood out and it was truly a joy to listen to him perform his iconic Punjabi beats including Billo De Ghar, Bay Ja Cycle Tay and Sanu Tere Naal. His energetic performance had groups of youngsters do the bhangra. As one of the hashtags of the event says #EatToTheBeat.
Abrarul Haq
The lineup for the other two days includes Ali Sethi, Sahir Ali Bagga, Aima Baig, Asim Azhar, Quadrum. Farhan Saeed and Sahara UK.
However, the sound system needs a bit of tweaking as the music can become too loud making conversation difficult and a nuisance.
The drive to Lake City
As daunting as 40km sounds, the drive to the event was unexpectedly quite fun as it turned out to be a mini road trip. The best way to reach the Lake City is via the Ring Road, which offers a smooth and picturesque drive to the other side of the city. Plug in a good playlist and you’re good to go.
However, it is advised to take a minimum number of cars, so that the hassle of parking is reduced.
Venue
The venue of the event was spectacular. Coke’s Food Fest was spread over a large area which meant that there was no congestion and there was plenty of space to walk and chill out. The lake, with fountains in the centre provided the perfect setting. Stalls were set up on all sides of the lake while seating arrangements were also made overlooking the lake presenting the perfect relaxation spot. Fairy light decorations gave the place a magical feel.
If you don’t have a wedding to attend this weekend, it’s time to take a drive on the Ring Road and head to the Coke Fest for a short escape from your mundane routine. Just a word of advice, purchase the tickets in advance to avoid the long queues.
