A Personal Farewell to What the Truck?!

It seems wrong to talk about food trucks when there’s snow on the ground, but I wanted to get one final post in before the end of the year for reasons of sentimentality. You see, this will be my final year with What the Truck?!, the food truck festival I co-founded with Mack five years ago.

Our first WTT event in 2011 at Beaver Hills House Park

In some ways, it seems like just yesterday Mack and I stumbled upon Off the Grid in San Francisco, the inspiration behind our desire to see something equally vibrant at home. But in other ways, given the exponential leap the Edmonton food truck scene has made since 2011 (from 7 to over 70 vendors in 2015), looking back, it’s easy to see how far we’ve come in that time.

Our first WTT event in 2015 at Churchill Square

I will always have a soft spot for food trucks. I admire the passionate entrepreneurs that put their hearts and souls on the line, creatively finding a niche in the ever-competitive street food market, and often braving unpredictable weather conditions. I’m so proud of the vendors who made the leap from mobile to storefront (Filistix, Nomad/Woodwork, Drift/Dovetail, S’wich and soon, The Local Omnivore) and believe their success is a testament to their hard work and the quality of their food.

But I know that it is time for me to step away. I don’t have the same energy to foresee the calendar of events for the summer season, and want to avoid doing a disservice to the trucks. That said, it has always been a goal for Mack and I to, with a sustainability plan in place, transition out (Mack will be staying on for one final year). We’ve since applied for non-profit status to solidify What the Truck?! as a formal society. In addition, over the past two years, we’ve deliberately grown our team of volunteers to include individuals with an equal passion for food trucks who also believe in the power of creating gathering spaces. I am more than confident that this team will carry the torch of What the Truck?! for years to come.

In some ways, it was fitting for our little festival to receive a proclamation from the City at our final event of the year (awarded by Councillor Andrew Knack, who has been a big supporter of What the Truck?! from year one). At our September 11, 2015 finale, the day was declared “What the Truck Day” in Edmonton. Knowing it was my last event, it was bittersweet.

With Councillor Knack and the proclamation

Even though the weather was fantastic, we didn’t see the extensive crowds that helped us inaugurate our fifth season back in May. We continue to learn about the ebb and flow of patrons, and recognize now that by September, food trucks don’t really have the same cachet as in the spring, when Edmontonians are eager to shed their layers in anticipation of enjoying all things al fresco.

Last event of the season

Still, those that attended had a great time. We awarded our first ever front-of-the-line golden tickets (which enabled pre-event access to the trucks), and hosted two DJ stations for the first time.

Our Golden Ticket winners!

We also welcomed several vendors into the What the Truck?! fold. It is definitely true that our scene has been enriched by the diversity of choices now available on the streets of Edmonton.

Churchill Square

Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to come out to these events over the five years – we would never have been able to grow What the Truck?! to this point without you. And to the team – Mack, Melina, Caleng, Katherine, Mikhaila and Su – I am looking forward to being on the other side next year. I can’t wait to see what you accomplish in 2016!

Recap: What the Truck?! in the Outfield

Our penultimate What the Truck?! of the season had us storming the outfield for the very first time on August 22, 2015.

We’d been considering Telus Field as a possible event location for a few years. It fits in with our desire to highlight underutilized spaces, and is situated in a beautiful part of the city that more people should explore. It’s also centrally located, public transit accessible and (perhaps the primary reason why the feedback was positively off the charts) there is loads of free parking.

One of the other reasons we embraced Telus Field was its enclosed nature, perfect for families with small children. It was heartening to see kids let loose on the pristine, manicured grass in and amongst a field dotted with picnic blankets.

Some also took advantage of the opportunity to play catch right on the ball diamond. Checking out the perspective from the mound is definitely not something you can do every day!

The twelve trucks that joined us that afternoon offered the most diverse line-up of food we’ve had at a single event. Cuisine choices included Filipino, Indian, Jamaican, Mauritian and Mexican food.

Although the event wasn’t as busy as we would have hoped, it meant short lines for those who did come out. Mack and I finally managed to try a grilled cheese sandwich from Cheddaheads, who has driven up from Red Deer twice this year for What the Truck?!

We also had a fantastic new DJ join the ranks of our What the Truck?! crew – DJ Elekin kept it light, and by request, even spun “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” during the seventh inning stretch.

Thanks to our in-kind sponsor, the Downtown Edmonton Community League, our fabulous volunteers, and the Telus Field liaison for helping to make the event happen.

Our last event of the season takes place next week, returning to the place where we kicked things off back in May:

What: What the Truck?!
Where: Sir Winston Churchill Square
When: Friday, September 11, 2015
Time: 4-8pm

RSVP on Facebook!

This will be our biggest event by far, with a record 35 trucks joining us that day. We’ll be posting menus to whet your appetite on September 4. Hope to see you there!

Recap: What the Truck?! at Park After Dark

On July 11, 2015, What the Truck?! partnered with Northlands to co-host an event during Park After Dark.

Park After Dark was established to introduce those who may not be familiar with the track to the excitement of live horse races. With an extensive outdoor patio and licensed area, we thought it would be a good way to incorporate an adjacent beer garden into What the Truck?!, something attendees have been inquiring about for some time.

We hosted 15 trucks that night, including 5 new to the festival. 1879 Where the Flavour Begins, Northlands’ own food truck, made its debut at the event, and seemed to be a crowd favourite, incorporating product from Mojo Jojo Pickles into one of their dishes. Mack and I split a “Big Mock” burger from another new truck, The Hop, enjoying the quality of a homemade patty but a flavour inspired by the Golden Arches.

The space ended up being very conducive to a food truck event, with the backdrop of horse races creating an atmosphere of anticipation and exhilaration. It was neat to see folks crowd around the track at the bugle call to post throughout the evening.

Linda Hoang even decided to introduce visitors to What the Truck?! in her Explore Edmonton video for Edmonton Tourism. Thanks, Linda!

If you missed our event at Park After Dark, you only have two other chances to catch What the Truck?! before the end of our 2015 season. Our penultimate event is another first for our festival – Trucks in the Outfield.

What: What the Truck?!
Where: Telus Field (10233 96 Ave NW, Edmonton, AB)
When: Saturday, August 22, 2015
Time: 4-8pm

RSVP on Facebook!

We’ll be lining up the trucks inside Telus Field so you’ll be able to have a picnic in the outfield! Attendees are encouraged to bring blankets and even baseball gloves and balls to play catch on the ball diamond.

Three trucks, The Hungry Dodo, Roots Patties, and Spiced! Food Truck, are new to What the Truck?!. All menus are now up for your viewing pleasure.

Hope to see you there!

Recap: What the Truck?! Brunch on the Boulevard

On June 10, 2015, What the Truck?! hosted its first brunch-themed event at Capital Boulevard.

Brunch on the Boulevard

Fourteen vendors joined us for Brunch on the Boulevard, serving up inspired items ranging from breakfast pizza to banana bread French toast and Captain Crunch ice cream sandwiches.

Canicus Catering’s breakfast pizza

The weather, while mostly cooperative, was overcast and windy at times. As a result, lines were minimal, and attendees enjoyed seamless access to most vendors – there’s definitely an incentive to coming out in spite of less than optimal conditions!

Weather wasn’t a deterrent for these folks

It was great to have DJs Thomas Culture and Polyesterday on hand to create an upbeat, sunny atmosphere. They literally had some people dancing in the streets!

DJ Thomas Culture

The Downtown Edmonton Community League and GFL also deserve shout-outs, given the sponsorships really helped us make the event a reality.

We had chosen the location primarily because we thought it was worth showcasing. Much has been invested to develop not only Capital Boulevard, but also the new Centennial Plaza and renovated Federal Building. In some ways, we were too ahead of the game – not all of the street’s infrastructure was ready (power, for instance), and the public art on the centre island planters are a year or two out.

Capital Boulevard

As for the Plaza itself, the coloured fountains were being repaired, and the Visitor’s Centre was aiming to open in time for Canada Day. And because of antiquated policies relating to the use of the Legislative Grounds, we weren’t permitted to purposely use the Plaza (we couldn’t place seating or porta-potties on the Plaza, for example). Apparently there are folks working to change these rules, but we’ll see how soon the shifts can be made.

Incidental use was permitted

It will also be interesting to see how other events end up programming the Boulevard in the future – with at least one parkade with its only entrance and exit fronting the Boulevard, multi-day festivals will have a challenge maintaining access. The centre planters also pose an additional difficulty, further reducing space for fire lanes. These were definitely elements we didn’t consider until trying to program the space ourselves; hopefully the City was aware of the limitations when designing the street.

If you missed the event, not to worry, our next What the Truck?! is just around the corner. We’ve had requests over the years for beer gardens, and while we’re not in a position to make that happen ourselves, we’ve partnered with someone who can.

What: What the Truck?!
Where: Northlands Park (7410 Borden Park Road NW, Edmonton, AB)
When: Friday, July 10, 2015
Time: 5-10pm
RSVP on Facebook!

We’re hosting a What the Truck?! at Northlands, in conjunction with Park After Dark. Ever curious about horse racing? Mack and I went a few years ago, and had a great time. On July 10, you’ll not only be able to catch some live horse racing and enjoy a cool drink on their patio, but you’ll also be able to sample from fifteen different trucks!

Check out the website on Friday for menus. Hope to see you there!

Recap: What the Truck?! at Churchill Square

We were overwhelmed with the turnout at our first What the Truck?! of the season, which took place at Churchill Square last Saturday.

Although we knew we’d have record crowds given our Facebook event had swelled to over 12,000 RSVPs in the weeks leading up to May 23, 2015, the perfect weather conditions put us over the edge.

It was obvious we attracted many first-time What the Truck?! attendees that day, some shocked at the frenzy surrounding food trucks. But for the most part, we saw Edmontonians celebrating the chance to be outdoors, enjoying some of the city’s best mobile food purveyors.

Given the circumstances, I was so proud of the trucks for serving a crowd we estimated to be 8,000 strong. It was a great team effort between veteran trucks like Bully (who, for the first time ever, sold out of food) and those new to What the Truck?!.

This may have been the tipping point for food trucks in Edmonton, and to help manage future turnouts, our volunteer committee will be doing our best to promote positive experiences at our events. For instance, we’ve started to bandy about the idea of a multi-day opening for next year, given our spring gathering has consistently been the busiest day in our festival calendar.

In our fifth year, it’s already become difficult to find suitable and accessible spaces that can accommodate us. One of our guiding principles has been to highlight the roaming nature of food trucks by shifting through different areas in the city, and consequently, hopefully encouraging exploration of adjacent businesses, parks or neighbourhood features. This will become more and more challenging with the festival’s success, but I’m optimistic that we can find a way to stay true to our roots.

Thanks to those who came out to our first event – you’ve showed us that the love of food trucks is alive and well in Edmonton! If you haven’t already, mark your calendars for our next event – Brunch on the Boulevard – taking place on Sunday, June 14, from 11am-3pm at 108 Street and 99 Avenue. Hope to see you there!

What the Truck?! Season 5 Kick-Off

I’ve been feeling a bit nostalgic lately (it’s no coincidence the series finale of Mad Men drove me to rewatch “The Wheel”, featuring Don’s famous carousel speech). But in the lead up to our fifth season of What the Truck?!, I’ve been reflecting more on where we started.

Some may remember that first event in June 2011, seven trucks huddled between the decorative poles in Beaver Hills House Park. Mack and I were floored that Edmontonians came out, in spite of the rain, to gather, eat and share – it was a demonstration of an appetite for great food to be enjoyed outdoors during our short but brilliant summers.

What The Truck?!
Beaver Hills House Park (2011)

True to the mobile nature of food trucks, over the years, we’ve continued to shift our festival locations to a number of central neighbourhoods, like Oliver’s Victoria Promenade (anecdotally, our most popular event), Old Strathcona’s family-friendly Gazebo Park, the recently renovated Borden Park by Northlands, and the underutilized Louise McKinney in our beautiful river valley.

What the Truck?!

Victoria Promenade (2012)

Our events have mirrored the increase the number of food trucks vending in Edmonton, growing from seven at that first event to nearly two dozen at our event last September. With more than sixty-five trucks registered this season, we’ll be doing our best to highlight as many as we can. That said, because mobile vendors have become mainstream, found at farmers’ markets, community gatherings, and other food festivals, What the Truck?! has to adapt to stay relevant.

What the Truck?! at Louise McKinney

Louise McKinney Park (2013)

This year, What the Truck?! will be focusing only on large events, to ensure we can cast a spotlight on trucks both new and experienced. You can expect that our gatherings will feature at least fifteen trucks or more, providing a variety of food not found elsewhere.

What the Truck?! at Borden Park

Borden Park (2014)

We also believe that What the Truck?! can still play a key role in using food trucks as a conduit to encourage exploration of some of Edmonton’s hidden gems. We’ll be releasing the details of our season later this month, but we hope you’ll be as excited about our new locations as we are!

For the first event of the season, we’ve decided to return to Churchill Square. The reality is – we’ve outgrown most other sites, and it’s hard to beat the central, accessible and open space of the Square.

_DSC5020

Churchill Square (photo by Dave Feltham)

What: What the Truck?! at Churchill Square
Where: Sir Winston Churchill Square
When: Saturday, May 23, 2015
Time: 4-8pm
RSVP on Facebook!

Even with the ever-growing interest in food trucks, the organizing team (now a group of seven!) has been blown away by the online response to our first event – over 10,000 people have RSVP’d already. We’ve posted the menus, so folks can start to plan their attack, and if you’ve never been before, please review our tips for attendees to make the most of your experience.

We hope you’re as excited for the season as we are – see you on Saturday!

2014 What the Truck?! Wrap Up

Before autumn rolls in, I wanted to take a look back at our last two What the Truck?! events of the season.

What the Truck?! @ Borden Park

One of the things we’re most proud of about What the Truck?! is our commitment to mobility, and the fact that the festival has convened at at least one new location every year.

This year, that location was Borden Park, a green space that the City has spent a pretty penny revitalizing. The new walkways, benches, playground, washroom facilities and public art are definitely worth exploring, and we hoped our event would help draw out more Edmontonians who haven’t yet discovered this revamped gem.

In the shadow of Northlands Park

Though it was more stressful than we would have liked (involving the blatant overlooking of no parking signs), the event saw friends and young families gather to enjoy an outdoor picnic and take advantage of the park’s amenities.

Short lines

DJs – Thomas Culture, Chesterfield and Polyesterday played a danceable soundtrack, which more than one young attendee enjoyed.

Dancing!

As always, it was great to have a mix of veteran and new trucks, which on this occasion included Canicus Catering, Dolce & Banana and One Cool Cookie. Ice cream sandwiches were definitely on the menu for most on that warm day!

Chocolate chip and salted caramel sandwich from One Cool Cookie

Thanks to everyone who came out!

You can’t miss us in our t-shirts

What the Truck?! @ Churchill Square

Our season finale at Churchill Square also happened to be our biggest event ever, featuring a gathering of 24 trucks. To accommodate this, we closed off an adjacent street, occupying roughly the same footprint as the Taste of Edmonton.

Churchill Square

It really was unfortunate the weather didn’t cooperate – overcast and drizzling for most of the afternoon, the grey skies intimidated many from taking in the last event of the year.

Under the trees

That said, those that did attend were able to take in a dizzying variety of food, short lines, and ample space to mingle.

99 Street

It was also the first event where we offered a printable, PDF version of the menu. We were happy to see many used this feature, which we will definitely be implementing again in the future.

Menus in hand!

Thanks to our sponsors the Downtown Edmonton Community League and the Old Strathcona Business Association, and of course, a big thank you to our team of DJs – Thomas Culture, Chesterfield and The Hugonaut. And a HUGE (belated) thank you to our fabulous clean-up volunteers – the Square has never looked so good. We couldn’t have done it without you!

Dinner crowd

The organizing team will be taking a break over the winter months, but details about another season of What the Truck?! will be released in the spring. In the meantime, if you did attend any of our events this past year, please consider filling out our survey – we’d love to hear your feedback as we look towards 2015.

Until then – the trucks will be out for another few weeks before the frost rolls in – make sure to get your fix before then. See you next year!

What the Truck?! @ Churchill Square: September 12, 2014

In previous years, I’ve been able to keep up with the food truck scene in Edmonton – though it usually took me the entire season to get to and try all of the new trucks that debuted that year, it could be done. This year, I’ve all but given up.

What the Truck?! at Churchill Square
2012 What the Truck?! @ Churchill Square

It speaks to how pervasive food trucks have become in the city, with over fifty in operation in the Edmonton area. Food trucks have also become nearly synonymous with festivals, farmers’ markets and any outdoor events that make the most of our warm weather months – a good sign that they’re here to stay.

_DSC5020
2013 What the Truck?! @ Churchill Square

Help us celebrate a great season with our last What the Truck?! of the year with a historic event – the largest food truck gathering Edmonton has ever seen.

What: What the Truck?! at Churchill Square
Where: Sir Winston Churchill Square Edmonton
When: Friday, September 12, 2014
Time: 4-8pm
RSVP on Facebook!

Twenty five trucks will fill up Churchill Square and 99 Avenue, with menus so delicious and varied you’ll be hard pressed to narrow down your choices. Among your options: South African bunny chow, Hawaiian spam burgers, and liege waffles topped with cream cheese grand marnier mousse.

What the Truck?! at Churchill Square 2013
2013 What the Truck?! @ Churchill Square

DJs Thomas Culture, Chesterfield and The Hugonaut will be on hand that night to set the tone – get ready to party!

What the Truck?! at Churchill Square 2013
DJ Thomas Culture

Hope to see you there!

Recap: Truck Stop at Boyle Street Plaza

What the Truck?! has always been at the mercy of the elements, and this was no more evident than on Thursday. Boyle Street Plaza played host to our second Truck Stop of the year, a burger-themed event. And though the forecast had been beautiful in the days leading up to Thursday, that evening was incredibly windy and mostly overcast.

Boyle Street Plaza

On the bright side, the lines were short, so it was perfect for folks looking for a quick dinner fix before heading off to make the most of their summer evening.

A break in the clouds

Among the three trucks present (one had to pull out due to mechanical difficulties) was Funky Mango, a Fort Saskatchewan-based truck who specializes in burgers. Mack and I had the Kahuna and the Thai shrimp burger, respectively, and found them to be very good. The latter in particular was very unique, with a handmade shrimp patty, impeccably seasoned, topped with a smattering of peanuts and served in a soft bun.

Thai shrimp burger

We were happy to have Now Radio’s Trucksicle on site, complementing the savoury menus with a free sweet treat.

The ice cream men

Our organizing team also debuted our new volunteer t-shirts on Thursday! It’ll now be easy to find us, if you have a question while you’re on-site.

Just look for the blue and yellow!

And I’d be remiss if I didn’t share at least one picture of the cutest puppy to venture down to the plaza that day: Lemons, a four-month old corgi. Couldn’t you see him as our animal mascot?

Lemons!

Thanks again to the City of Edmonton and the Boyle Street Community League for your support! Our next What the Truck?! will be taking place on Saturday, August 16, 2014. Check back on our website for more information closer to the date!

Recap: Truck Stop @ Baconfest

Last Friday, a glorious summer evening, What the Truck?! partnered with the inaugural Baconfest to host a bacon-themed Truck Stop.

Baconfest Truck Stop

Six trucks, all offering sinful, bacon-filled menus, parked outside the Arts Barns to serve their sweet and savoury concoctions. I loved the creativity, from SoCal Smoothie’s bacon milkshake to Big City Sandwich’s mysteriously named bacon magic cheeseurger.

Smokehouse BBQ

It was great to have several vendors new to What the Truck?!, including SoCal Smoothies and Keilan’s Creamery. Keilan’s primarily serves ice creams from Foothills Creamery, but also sources from a local small-batch ice cream maker who brings unique flavours (and then some) to the market – such as bacon bourbon, maple bacon and Guinness vanilla.

Keilan’s Creamery

This was one of our quieter events this season; I think we weren’t able to overcome some of the confusion as to whether or not our Truck Stop required a ticket for admission. Still, those who attended seemed to have a great time, and the short lines meant folks were able to dabble in dishes from multiple vendors!

Amanda and her poutine from The Local Omnivore

I personally was able to enjoy a few dishes, the most memorable being the Peruvian Pan Con Chicharron (braised & pan seared rib meat, pan seared pork belly, fried sweet potato slices & salsa criolla in a French bun). It was easily one of the best things I’ve ever had from Molly’s Eats – I loved the crispy, flavourful meat and the crunchy bun.

Peruvian Pan Con Chicharron from Molly’s Eats

The tangy peach sorbet from Keilan’s was a refreshing way to end to the scorching day. It seemed that almost everyone indulged in the cool treat too.

Felicia enjoys two scoops of coconut ice cream from Keilan’s

Edmonton Public Library was on-site, signing people up for free memberships. And in a What the Truck?! first, there were a handful of peaceful protesters present all night, encouraging people to refrain from eating meat. I suspect they were mostly there because of the media attention attracted by Baconfest, but I hope none of the Truck Stop attendees felt intimidated.

I heart EPL, too!

I’d like to also recognize the Old Strathcona Business Association and Baconfest for partnering with us on this event.

If you missed the Truck Stop, you’re in luck, we we’re hosting another one this Thursday, July 10, from 5-8pm at the Boyle Street Plaza. This time, the menus are burger-themed, so bring your appetite and come hungry!

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: