2nd Annual Summer Kickoff and Food Truck Festival Slated for June 1
By Julie Perine on April 26, 2019
The Associated Businesses of Bridgeport initiated its first Summer Kickoff in 2018 hoping to spark some interest in a seasonal event that would grow to be as exciting for the community as the wintertime Light Up Night.
The mission was accomplished and surpassed.
“We decided to start out small – to put some things together and we had no idea how many people would attend,” said ABB President Brad Ford. “We had a beautiful evening with thousands showing up in the streets and our food trucks running out of food.”
The ABB’s 2nd Annual Summer Kickoff and Food Truck Festival will take place 5-8 p.m. Saturday, June 1 on Main Street. Community members are promised the same type of food and fun as was featured in 2018, but more of it, Ford said.
“We were hoping last year for success and we got it and now we’re excited to bring even a bigger event to our community,” he said.
Food trucks with an array of refreshment options, live music by “80s Enough,” crowd trivia with prizes, performances by Studio 9 Dance Academy and plenty of kid-friendly activities are in store.
“We’ll have clowns making balloon shapes, face painting, corn hole, caricatures and other fun things for children and, of course, the centerpiece of it all is the nine tons of sand called the world’s Biggest Sandbox,” Ford said.
Those events will take place between the Lloyd Lang Bridge and Nationwide Insurance/Doug Marquette Agency. West of the bridge will be a car cruise in – a new feature this year.
“We’ll probably have the cars – old models and classics – meet at the high school and drive the procession downtown, parking them at an angle for display,” Ford said.
Current and prospective ABB members businesses are encouraged to take part in the summer kickoff. Planning meetings will be ongoing throughout the next few weeks. Event sponsorships are available for $500 and any business which would like to set up a tent with non-food giveaways are welcome. Volunteers are also needed to set up and tear down and additional entertainment is welcome.
To get involved, contact Ford at 304-677-5877 or Lisa Lang at 304-290-8636.
