Pull Up a Chair for the Erie Front Porch Festival

Summer in Erie is all about being out and about — perfectly aligned with food trucks' mission to follow the crowds. Eventually, though, crowds started following the food trucks, ushering the inaugural Erie Food Truck Festival and Erie's Downtown Food Truck Festival in 2018.

As we are all sadly aware, large crowds are contraindicated in 2020, as are all the traditional summertime events that would host them. As such, most Erie food trucks will remain parked for the summer, if not forever. Kate Philips, organizer of the first two highly successful Erie Food Truck Festivals and CEO of consulting firm Parker Philips, doesn't want to see that happen — and is assuming you don't either. 

"Food truck operators are a unique set of entrepreneurs who work and hustle — many of them are not even able to open this summer," laments Philips. 

Given that, she is hoping that this year's Erie Front Porch Festival, the Erie Food Truck Festival's socially distant successor, will help grease the pots and pans and engines of our area's mobile eateries for many more seasons to come. The event will feature five hours of local music streamed on Facebook Live, headlined by pop/R&B/funk cover outfit The Groove in their first virtual performance ever from the PACA Building.

The full performance lineup includes:

• 2 to 3 p.m. — Zach Orr
• 3 to 4 p.m. — Lindsey Vendetti & Eric Brewer
• 4 to 5 p.m. — Tommy Link
• 5 to 6 p.m. — Six Year Stretch
• 6 to 7 p.m. — The Groove

Some food trucks will be dispensing their comestibles on Saturday, with the Cluk Truk (Altered State Distillery on West Eighth and Greengarden), Brunch Box (Main Street in Lawrence Park), and JEB's Concessions (in front of Sticks and Bricks Wood-Fired Pizza on East Grandview) in fixed locations, with others such as The Atacolypse and Chameleon TBA or at-large. But the main focus is "to give an afternoon of live music to listen to and enjoy" from their front porch, patio, or backyard — to evoke an outdoor concert atmosphere.

With each $10 ticket purchase online, virtual attendees will receive a printable sheet of coupons redeemable area breweries and wineries, including:

• Black Monk Brewery ($5 off a growler refill)
• Erie Brewing Company ($5 off a case of beer)
• Lavery Brewing Company ($10 growler refill)
• Nostrovia Brewing ($5 off a growler)
• Presque Isle Wine Cellars (15% off total purchase)
• Six Mile Cellars (15% off total purchase)
• Penn Shore Vineyards (special front porch box set)

Optionally, they can double their donation, with the additional $10 supporting the Iroquois School District Foundation, a non-profit organization that offers an opportunity to Iroquois School District students. The event normally occurs in the GE/WABTEC Fields in Lawrence Park, the Iroquois School District's jurisdiction. Philips is happy to not only serve those kids through the Food Truck Festival, but the eastside community as a whole — often neglected when it comes to hosting major events. 

In regard to the Front Porch Festival, Philips hopes people can feed off its "positive vibes during a tumultuous time," even in the absence of their favorite food truck fare. So kick back and savor good bites, good brews, and good music VIP from your swanky (just cleaned last week?) self-managed venue. 

Matt Swanseger (mswanseger@eriereader.com) far prefers trucks that serve food over the ones that unnecessarily tailgate him on the Bayfront Connector/Lake Erie Speedway II.