Variety on the menu as 36 food trucks take part in downtown Aurora festival
'I know they've had these for well over a decade and I've come to every one of them,' Whitehead said as he waited in line Friday evening for a lobster roll during the spring Food Truck Festival in downtown Aurora. 'You kind of learn to come early if you want certain things, like this lobster truck. It's unique. I'll probably hit a few tastes of things and a dessert. We'll meet friends and just get together.'
The city's Special Events Division offered the festival, which kicked off at 5 p.m. on Benton Street between River Street and Broadway.
For the next four hours, visitors could check out three dozen food trucks including longtime favorites as well as some new entries.
Christina DiCristofano, coordinator for this year's fest, said the city would offer another food truck event in the fall.
'We see this as something to bring the community together as well as a way to support local businesses,' DiCristofano said.
The fall food truck fest last year boasted just over two dozen trucks, making this spring's event considerably bigger.
Clayton Muhammad, chief communications and equity officer for the city of Aurora, said the festival gets people in the mood for the warmer months ahead.
'We're excited,' he said. 'It's one of the first official forays into the summer season for us. Even though we're a month out, it builds that summer vibe downtown with milder weather, food and music. This is the first year the city of Aurora has taken over this spring festival and it's bolder, bigger than ever. Vendors coming from all over-Chicagoland not only showcases our cuisines in the Aurora area, but our culture as well with so many ethnic eateries and food vendors. You get a taste of the world.'
Muhammad said 'the diversity of food you can get in a condensed space at a good price' keeps people coming back to the city's food truck festivals.
'It's like the popularity of Taste of Chicago every year as opposed to going to a restaurant, burning gas, waiting for a waiter to come – this is a quick, family-friendly, easy way to sample a lot of food at great prices,' he said.
Visitors like Whitehead arrived early in order to minimize the wait time at some of their favorites as a welcome blast of sunshine greeted other early arrivers like Brandi Harris and her husband Roy Harris of Aurora.
'I've come multiple times and I think we're going to get some chicken and we'll probably try some barbecue from somewhere and maybe get some ice cream,' Brandi Harris said . 'We try to support the same people we like but also try something new.'
Roy Harris said last year he enjoyed the pizza and, like Whitehead, was planning on having a lobster roll.
'Most years we hit about five places,' he said of the fest.
Mary Grace Wolf of Aurora brought her daughter Emerson, 7, to the bash on Friday evening.
'My daughter is really excited for french fries. We like the tamales and the nachos and the Holy Pierogis – that's a highlight,' she said. 'We definitely have our favorites. I like these festivals because of the variety and love coming to downtown Aurora and getting out of the house.'
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