If you were anywhere near Michigan City on Saturday, you probably caught a whiff of the sweet and savory smells coming from the city’s 3rd Annual Food Truck Festival. With the aromas of fresh dishes from 17 different food trucks permeating the air, it was enough to make anybody’s taste buds water.
Guests were treated to a variety of delicious eats, ranging from sugary mini donuts to tangy barbecue and cultural cuisines like Edgar Gonzalez’ truck, ‘Rico Suave.’
“This is our second year coming out here,” Gonzalez said. “Last year we came in a tent, so this is a step up for us. We just got our truck this May, so this is a great opportunity for us to use it!”
Serving a wide variety of authentic Mexican foods, Gonzalez’ truck was a big hit with the crowd.
“We have authentic Mexican tacos, guacamole, fiesta nachos, popsicles and more,” Gonzalez continued. “Everything is made fresh when you order. We really like to travel and sell our tacos all around Indiana.”
While some vendors have participated in the festival in past years, some are new to the festivities.
“This is our first year out here,” said James Stokes, owner of Lark’s Bar-B-Que, based in Benton Harbor, Michigan. “We heard about it from a friend who lives out here; he said it was a big event that keeps growing and invited us to come out.”
Stokes has run a full-service restaurant back in Benton Harbor for the past 26 years, but took his cooking skills to the road about five years ago. Barbeque fans lined up to get a taste of his mouth-watering menu, the perfect way to celebrate Memorial Day weekend.
“We expected it to be a good day,” Stokes continued. “The weather is nice, and I think we’re going to have a great time this weekend!”
The day started off overcast with a slight drizzle, but the sun soon broke out as participants continued to flood in and enjoy the fun! Food lovers from all over the region took advantage of the awesome selection, and they were not disappointed.
“We came here last year too and had an amazing time,” said Alex Gaytan, who traveled with his family from Berrien Springs, Michigan to attend the event. “We’re here for the food which tastes great as always, and that’s all that really matters!”
While some make the trip every year, others, like Chicago resident Rachel Mead and her family, stumbled upon the festival by accident.
“We were actually driving to the zoo when we happened to see this,” Mead said. “We initially thought it would be just a couple of trucks with some basic options, but it was so much more than that! We’re so glad we stopped to check it out!”
Whether you have a sweet tooth or a hankering for something a bit zestier, the Michigan City Food Truck Festival has it all. The festivities will continue tomorrow, May 26, from 10 AM to 8 PM, so come on out and experience the tastes of Michigan City!