Spring is here. Birds are singing, flowers are blooming and food trucks are popping up in and around Syracuse. A large gathering of trucks from the region will roll into the New York State Fairgrounds in Geddes on Saturday, May 13, for the second annual Syracuse Food Truck & Craft Beer Festival.
The event, scheduled for noon to 6 p.m., is hosted by Food Truck Festivals of America. Advance sale tickets are $5, or $10 at the gate. VIP tickets ($20 advance; $25 at the gate) give ticketholders access to the food trucks from 11 a.m. to noon, before the event officially starts.
Janet Prensky, a partner and public relations specialist with Aigner/Prensky Marketing Group, said in an email that more than 8,000 people attended the first Syracuse Food Truck & Craft Beer Festival at the fairgrounds last year, and that about 35 food trucks are taking part this year. Most are from the Syracuse-Central New York region, Rochester and the Finger Lakes.
The trucks will offer a wide range of food: barbecue, grilled cheese, macaroni and cheese, Mediterranean cuisine, Tex-Mex fare and more, including ice cream and desserts. Participants familiar to Central New York food truck fans include Byblos, Birdsong Café, Café 119, Cruisin’ Cones, Lady Bug Lunch Box, Mo’s Pit Barbecue, Ponchito’s Chuck Wagon, Shattuck’s Paddy Wagon, the Salt City Food Truck, That’s What’s Up, the Chicken Bandit Food Truck and Eatery, Toss ’n’ Fire Wood-Fired Pizza, The Cremeria and others. Ithaca-area favorite the Silo Food Truck, which won top honors from judges at the State Fair Food Truck Competition in 2016, will be there as well.
Participating New York-based breweries include Middle Ages Brewing Company, Brewery Ommegang, Southern Tier Brewing Company, Brooklyn Brewery, Coney Island Brewery, Bronx Brewery, Greenport Harbor Brewing Company and others.
For more information and details, including what trucks are participating and what beers will be available, visit foodtruckfestivalsofamerica.com. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit universe.com/users/food-truck-festivals-of-america-9W3XP0.
UPDATE:
Midweek Food Truck Stops
If it’s Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday, you can count on a food truck roundup somewhere in Central New York. Members of the Syracuse Food Truck Association (SFTA) have several standing events/locations on the calendar this season.
On Tuesdays, a rotating selection of members of the SFTA will gather at Skyway Park, 5950 E. Taft Road, North Syracuse, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Trucks present on May 9 included Mo’s Pit Barbecue, the Salt City Food Truck and Via Napoli Express.
Wednesdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Lyncourt Plaza, 2301 Teall Ave., will feature a weekly lineup that includes the Chicken Bandit Food Truck and Eatery, PB&J’s Lunch Box, Toss ’n’ Fire Wood-Fired Pizza and That’s What’s Up.
And on Thursdays, 4 to 8 p.m., come thirsty and hungry to Willow Rock Brewing Company starting May 18. The opening lineup includes PB&J’s Lunch Box, Toss ’n’ Fire Wood-Fired Pizza and That’s What’s Up. Willow Rock is at 115 Game Road, off Ainsley Drive, in Syracuse.
For more information on the Syracuse Food Truck Association and its upcoming events, visit facebook.com/syracusefoodtruckassociation.
Margaret McCormick is a freelance writer and editor in Syracuse. She blogs about food at eatfirst.typepad.com. Follow her on Twitter, connect on Facebook or email [email protected].