Between the relentless shouts of "Buy this insurance!" and "Give us your email addresses!" and "Sweepstakes, Sweepstakes, SWEEPSTAKES!" for lord knows what, and "YOU COULD WIN A CAAAAAARRRRR!" I'm sure you'll find something to enjoy year after year at ToC. It's like a mix between a fair and flea market. Would you like to purchase a birdhouse or tie dye shirt with your barbeque slider? Of course you would!
Things to look for: Nicer restaurants in town such as e2. These guys were serving up the best Shrimp Po Boy slider I've ever had in my entire life. It was freaking amazing. Perfect bun execution, darn good pickles, shrimp was to-die-for. Keep the stuff like that coming. Also, Woodlands had paper dosa masala. Winner every time.
Other things fall by the wayside for me. I don't want a bunch of kitschy free stuff to take home. It seems to be less about the food and more about an all-consuming consumer fest.
HA! Also, be on the lookout for characters.....of all kinds. I swear we saw a guy that was dressed up like Predator. No joke.