Erie's Downtown Food Truck Festival Rolls In
Last year's inaugural event had a strong turnout with around 5,000 people coming to enjoy the festivities.
The food truck phenomenon continues to take over the Erie community as the summer ensues. The Bourbon Barrel will join the party as they host their second annual Erie's Downtown Food Truck Festival.
Says Antonio Molino, co-owner of the Bourbon Barrel: "It is in the heart of downtown Erie, in the hub of it all. It's a free event where the money generated goes right back into the community, which is where we stand out, by bringing everything that is local into one place, for everyone to enjoy."
There's something for everyone at this event because not only will there be 18 food trucks plus the Bourbon Barrel kitchen offering food options, but there will also be three local bands performing (First To Eleven, PopRockets, and Theory of Evolution), live demonstrations, an arm-wrestling competition, and even a kid's corner that features a 27-foot shark slide. This is all made possible by multiple local sponsors, with all proceeds benefiting the Erie Police Athletic League (PAL) and Voices for Independence.
Last year's inaugural event had a strong turnout with around 5,000 people coming to enjoy the festivities. With an expected 7,000-plus attendees at this year's festival, the layout has been optimized as to allow for a better flow of traffic and to keep everyone together.
Derek Smith, the other co-owner of the Bourbon Barrel, detailed that they created this event in order to "bring attention and exposure to downtown Erie's upper entertainment district with no cost to the city of Erie." With Mayor Joe Schember and the rest of the Erie community on board, this has and will continue to be one of the best, free and family-friendly events to attend this and every summer to follow. — Symoné Crockett
3 p.m. to 11 p.m. // Bourbon Barrel, 1213 State St. // Free to the public
