Food Trucks Galore

Many food trucks packed into the parking lot of the former Redlands mall to serve their specialties to hungry customers last Saturday, June 29 as the last event in the City’s “June is Jumpin’” series. Despite the 105° weather, people braved the sun to enjoy the event that happens once a year. The second annual “Invasion of the Food Trucks and Beerfest” was an event that not only included an abundance of food, but also included music, fun and opportunities for creating lasting memories. According to Heather Smith, a volunteer at the event, last year’s annual “Invasion of the Food Trucks and Beerfest” was an immense success that brought in plenty of visitors. “It was a big turnout [last year]. It was in a smaller location on the other side of the mall parking lot and it was just packed all day long. We hope we get those numbers today too,” stated Smith. This is the second year that the city of Redlands put together a food truck event for the city. The main purpose and goal of the event is to bring people from the city of Redlands together to enjoy an irreplaceable experience. “It’s about bringing people into downtown Redlands and offering unique opportunities to taste different kinds of foods. We kind of just wanted to [get involved in] the food truck craze that’s been going on in larger cities and bring it to Redlands,” said Smith. Drawing in people from all over Redlands, event attendant Katie Flores’ biggest motivator to come to the food trucks event was her pleasant experience last year. Flores stated, “I really like to eat and I love food trucks, and I really had a good time last year so I decided to do it again this year.” Another visitor, David Flores, stated, I like to try to find different things to eat because when you live in a small town it’s kind of hard to find different things every now and then, so when you come to a food truck, you not only have different things to eat, but it’s a good variety. It’s better than the everyday fast food and just going to your local restaurant every day kind of thing.” Food trucks included Rolling Sushi, Me So hungry, The Surfer Taco (serving seafood tacos and burritos), Cousins Maine Lobster, Where’s the Fire (serving gourmet pizza and sandwiches), Ragin’ Cajun, and more. Visitor Katie Flores stated that one of her favorite food trucks was Me So Hungry because of their delectable sliders. David Flores’ favorite part about the event was that “everything can be shared. You don’t have to buy an entire meal from one truck. You can split it in a group and everybody can have a taste and get something else but still have room for other trucks and get their grub on!” Visitor Ruth Riojas, who had never been to a food truck event before, expressed her gratitude towards the city of Redlands for putting this event together. She stated, “I think it’s good; it brings people out, especially in the summer when it’s so hot outside. I think it’s a good idea to bring people together.”