GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Food Truck Fridays will return to Riverside park for its seventh season on May 19. The event will be partnering with four different nonprofit organizations during the 16-week season.
Churchill Mobile Bar will be pouring craft cocktails and margaritas during the first four weeks of Food Truck Fridays.
And if you're looking for the perfect gift, there will be 20 local merchant vendors and artisans setting up each week in the park.
All the fun will start an hour earlier this year, with the event running from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.
There are a few new things to expect this year, including each nonprofit hosting a weekly beer tent at the event.
13 ON YOUR SIDE spoke to the event organizer and Underground Cookie Club owner Alan Tomlinson, who will have a food truck participate in the event.
"We specialize in artisan ice cream sandwiches. We make ice cream sandwiches unlike anyone that does in the country. We have over 20 different varieties," Tomlinson said. "We make everything ourselves here in our shop in Kentwood, we have cookies, brownies, even the ice cream we make all in house, we source our milk and cream from Country Dairy. So we keep everything as local as possible. We try to make every ice cream sandwich kind of very specific for its flavor. So the tastes are out of this world."
Tomlinson says he thinks this event is important to have in the community.
"We wanted to bring other small business owners and local crafters and artisans and patrons to our events to really help showcase that when we all come together as a community, it's just more fun. It's a more thriving environment. And it just helps the entire community grow," said Tomlinson.
And if supporting local vendors, grabbing a cocktail and shopping for the perfect gift doesn't make you want to visit this year, there is also another new incentive to go back.
"This year we have a program called 'Frequent Fridays Card'. It is a stamp card that is free. You can pick it up every week that you attend Food Truck Fridays. A food truck tent will stamp your card each time you visit. And at the end of the season, you can turn your card in for three different drawings," Tomlinson said. "Last year, we gave away a 70-inch big screen TV to our grand prize winner. We have over $800 in food truck gift certificate packs that were given away as well. We have a lot more prizes and stuff this year. So all the more reason to come back every week."
With the rollercoaster of weather forecasts West Michigan has had recently, we asked if there is any concern with flooding or severe weather that could impact the event.
"We have been very fortunate when it comes to weather and we've had very, very few cancellations over the years. We are also very fortunate we know Riverside Park is a very low-lying park and where we set up, that entire area is the driest part of Riverside Park. It's all hard clay," Tomlinson said. "And so even when it is wet, it still supports the weight of the trucks. So as long as it's not a complete downpour, our plan this year is for every event to be rain or shine due to the amount of new features that we're adding."
The event will run every Friday from May 19 through Sept. 1. To see other events GR8 Food Trucks hosts visit here.
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