By Ken Lay
Students from Knox County schools took a break from the classroom Thursday as they made a field trip to the 25th Knox County Food Show.
Busloads of students and teachers filed into the Knoxville Expo Center to have their voices heard about the potential future food that will be served in KCS cafeterias around town during the 2026-27 school year.
Over 600 vendors packed the exhibit hall and treated students to a variety of fare, from barbecue and biscuits to juices and sweet treats.
Students could vote for their favorite foods by placing stickers on sheets of paper in the vendors’ booths.
Knox County Schools Director of School Nutrition Brett Foster noted that the food show plays an important role for the district and has for more than two decades, as vendors from throughout the country are on hand with samples.
“This is our 25th show,” she said. “We took a little break after COVID, and we’ve been back for a few years.
“We will have students here from 9-1 today, and we will give the vendors a small break between groups so they can reset their booths.”
Foster also noted that the students who packed the convention center exhibit hall on Thursday represented all five regions in the KCS system.
“We’ll have students from third to 11th grade, and it’s a really good opportunity for the students to meet the vendors,” Foster said. “And we will have three different groups and all five regions, so the entire district is represented and will be here today. We’ll have between 200 and 250 students in each time slot.”
The experience was fun for the students, but the day was also enjoyable for the vendors.
“We love seeing the kids and this has been going on for 25 years,” said Tyra Noe from Trident Seafood. “I haven’t been here all 25 years, but I’ve been here a lot.”
Tom Michalewski of Rich’s has worked closely with Foster in recent years and looks forward to participating in the food show when he can.
“I’ve been working closely with Brett for three years, and this is a great opportunity for the schools to get feedback from the kids.”
Tate Harris of Bridgford Foods agreed.
“I like seeing all the kids and knowing that what we do will give them a chance to decide what they might want to eat,” Harris said.
