City of Kentwood Kicking Off Summer With Food Truck Festival

Event Will Take Place June 19 and Feature Food Trucks, Live Music and Beer Tent

The City of Kentwood and GR8 Food Trucks aren’t waiting until the end of summer to offer the annual Food Truck Festival this year – they’re kicking off the season with the popular event.

The Kick-off to Summer Food Truck Festival will take place Saturday, June 19 in the parking lot of the Kent District Library – Kentwood (Richard. L. Root) Branch, 4950 Breton Ave. SE. The free-to-attend community event will run 11 a.m.-8 p.m. and feature 16 food trucks, live music and a beer tent. To wrap up the summer season, another food truck festival is slated for Saturday, Sept. 11.

The food trucks will offer everything from Filipino cuisine to Indian food, as well as barbeque options, hot dogs, fries and a variety of dessert options. The event also will have community booths including the Kent County Black Caucus, which will honor the day and educate the public about Juneteenth, an annual holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the country. Workforce Employment Specialists, United Healthcare and others will be on-site as well.

“We’re pleased to expand the Food Truck Festival to two dates and double the opportunity for community members to come together for fun, fellowship and fantastic local food and music,” said Val Romeo, Kentwood Parks and Recreation director. “We’re delighted to again partner with GR8 Food Trucks, vendors and musicians to provide this wonderful all-ages event for our community.”

Food trucks participating in the event include:

• Beecher's Pretzels
• Curry in a Hurry
• Daddy's Dough Cookies
• Detroit's Original Coney Island
• Kona Ice of Lowell
• Kool Breze, LLC
• Little Mamma's Ultimate Dessert & Snack Truck
• Nick's Gyros
• Patty Matters
• Pig Out on the Fly
• Pressed in Time
• SANSE Filipino Cuisine
• Specialty Cheesecake and Dessert Company
• Street Frites
• Touch O' Dutch
• UCC Desserts

Live music will start at 11 a.m. with The Boogie Woogie Kid, followed by DJ Snax, Hazy Past and Asamu Johnson and The Associates of the Blues. A beer tent featuring local craft beer favorites   will be open 11 a.m.-8 p.m.

“Food trucks offer a great way to sample a variety of cuisine in a relaxed and outdoor setting,” said Alan Stone, president of GR8 Food Trucks. “Kentwood’s Food Truck Festival provides an opportunity for residents to have fun while supporting local businesses, which is especially important during the pandemic.”

This year’s diamond sponsors are NN Mobile Solutions and Macatawa Bank. While entry to the festival is free, cost for food and beverages varies by vendor.

More information about the Kick-off to Summer Food Truck Festival is available at kentwood.us/SummerFoodTruckFestival. Volunteers are needed for the event. Those interested can sign up online.