Food vendors, stage hands and carnival crews were setting up Thursday for the three days of Taste of Joliet.

The biggest summer festival of Joliet opens at 3 p.m. Friday.

The event is as much, if not more so, a music festival as a food extravaganza with three days of music that draws the biggest crowds of the weekend.

But it’s an important weekend for food vendors, some who want to introduce themselves to Joliet during the event at Memorial Stadium.

“We’re going to bring some of our finest food to the people of Joliet and Will County as well,” said Mercedes Brown, whose event and catering business out of Bolingbrook is named Eva Lee Cooking, after his grandmother.

Like his grandmother, Brown and his wife, Carlisa, cook from scratch to make the fried catfish, ribs and jerk chicken that will be sold at their stand.

There are 22 food vendors at Taste, including Popus Gourmet Popcorn, which while known for its Joliet popcorn shop also operates a grill at events.

Returning to Taste is Blackhawk BBQ, which will be there for the 16th year and has as long a list of menu items as any stand at the Taste. Owner Gerry Mendiola said among his best sellers at Taste of Joliet is barbecued pulled pork nachos.

The main attraction for much of the Taste, however, will be the stage that was set up on Thursday by Stagehands Local 124 out of Joliet.

Stagehands Local 124 will be there throughout the Taste, union Secretary-Treasurer Tim Kelly said.

“We bring all the equipment on and off during the shows,” Kelly said. “We have guys working the spotlights.”

Friday, rock music night at Taste, features headline band Train, which performs at 9:15 p.m. They will be preceded by Don’t Matter to Me at 5:30 p.m., 7th Heaven at 6:45 p.m. and Thunderstorm Artis at 8:30 p.m.

Saturday, which typically generates the weekend’s largest turnout, brings country music at the Taste with five country performers: Tanner Adell at 3:30 p.m., Drake Milligan at 4:30 p.m., Adam Doleac at 6 p.m., Mitchell Tenpenny at 8 p.m., and Tyler Hubbard at 9:30 p.m.

Sunday brings Latin music with three bands taking the stage starting at 4 p.m. with Conjunto Sable. La Nueva Lexion follows at 5:30 p.m., and Banda Los Sebastianes takes the stage at 6:45 p.m.

Tickets for the Taste are $20 at the gate on Friday and Saturday. The cost of admission on Sunday is $15 noon to 3 p.m., and it goes up to $20 after 3 p.m.

Hours are 3 to 11 p.m. on Friday, noon to 11 p.m. on Saturday, and noon to 9 p.m. on Sunday.

The Taste of Joliet is put on by the Joliet Park District.

Park district Executive Director Brad Staab said the outlook looks good for the weekend.

“We’re excited,” Staab said. “It looks like we’re going to get some good weather this weekend. Ticket sales are good.”