The third annual Eat 2 The Beat festival at the Gates of the City slogged through a rainy Saturday on August 18, 2012. A sparse audience listened to a line-up of local musicians while eating food from about a dozen vendors lined up on the north side of the park. The event was created by a partnership between Mayor Will Flanagan and The Herald News to celebrate the diversity of the city's food offerings and local musicians. The area around the Gates was full of music from noon to 8:00 p.m. Food vendors included Bayside Restaurant, St. James Irish Pub, CD-Recreation, Sausage King, Fiorentina Italian Kitchen, St. Michael's Church, and Patti's Pierogis. Bands included Dirty Deeds, Klassik Kiss, TJ’s Music All Stars, the Blind Woods, the Journey tribute band Scarab, and Fun House. Click here for the Herald News article about the event. Click here for a short video. Click here for photos of last year's event.

(Top row) A light crowd braves the showers to listen to the Rockwells guitarist B.J. Knights and singer Danielle Andrews. (Row two, left) Jim Logan of New Hampshire, whose daughter is in one of the bands, checks out one of the Fall River Police Department's motorcycles. (Row two, right) Steve and Colette Case of Somerset are prepared for rain as they carry their food to the picnic tables in the center of the park. (Row three, left) Annemarie Sharkey, Ellen Gillander and Beb Raposo man the Fall River Re-Creation food stand while executive director Grace Gerling work the grill behind them. (Row three, center) Darius Hunt enjoys a hot dog from the Re-Creation food stand while Peter Ried and Keyance Mills look on. (Row three, right) Tony and Crystal Mendoza serve customers a variety of their grilled foods from their trailer. (Bottom row, left and right) Community Development executive director Mike Dion poses with Mayor Flanagan and while city traffic police officer Barbara Wainwright poses for a photo with Mike Carvalho. (Bottom row, center) Rose Santos takes some free book bags from Louie the Lobster.