A multi-day food and dance festival, which debuted last year at Windsor’s riverfront, is returning next weekend with extended nighttime hours.

The Windsor Food Festival will take place from July 12 to 14 at Riverfront Festival Plaza, starting at 11 a.m. The first two days will run until 1 a.m. and the final day will end at 11 p.m.

According to lead organizer Shahdesh Singh Kshatriya, more than 5,000 people attended the inaugural Windsor Food Festival in 2023.

“We didn’t expect the audience we got,” he said.

Windsor Food Festival organizer, Shahdesh Singh Kshatriye. (Sanjay Maru/CTV News Windsor)

The festival is free to attend and will feature food vendors, live artists, dance performances and a variety of other attractions.

Last year’s inaugural festival, which spanned two nights compared to the three nights offered this year, featured live DJ nights where people could dance throughout Festival Plaza.

Both nights ended at 11 p.m. last year — so to accommodate the demand that last year’s DJ nights saw, a third day has been added to this year’s Windsor Food Festival.

“Last year, after 11 p.m., the crowd was chanting that they wanted more. So that’s why we have expanded to 1 a.m this year,” said Kshatriya.

The theme of the 2024 Windsor Food Festival is “Go Green.”

“Our vendors will be using recyclable cutlery, and all of the dishes will be recyclable as well,” said Kshatriya.

“Last year, we had many vendors who ran out of food because they did not expect as many people. But this year, they will be prepared with more inventory.”