ALLENTOWN, Pa. - A tasty new event, featuring several popular mobile food vendors, is coming soon to Lehigh County.
Food Trucks at the Fairgrounds, a weekly gathering of 10-15 Lehigh Valley area food trucks, will take place 4-8 p.m. Wednesdays beginning April 30 and continuing through Oct. 8 (except for Aug. 20, Aug. 27 and Sept. 3) at the Allentown Fairgrounds.
Food Trucks at the Fairgrounds, a weekly gathering of 10-15 local food trucks, will take place 4-8 p.m. Wednesdays beginning April 30 and continuing through Oct. 8 (except for Aug. 20, Aug. 27 and Sept. 3) at the Allentown Fairgrounds.
The inaugural event will be held in the MainGate Nightclub parking lot, at North 17th and Liberty streets, according to Melissa DeFrain, administrative coordinator at the Lehigh County Agricultural Society, which is organizing the event.
Leaders of the Lehigh County Agricultural Society, the nonprofit owner and operator of the Allentown Fairgrounds and the Great Allentown Fair, took inspiration from the former Fairgrounds Food Truck Festival, which the Greater Lehigh Valley Mobile Food Alliance held annually each summer at the fairgrounds prior to 2020, DeFrain said.
"Before COVID, the local food truck alliance used to have a food truck festival here once a year," DeFrain said.
"It was pretty well-attended, and the whole food truck concept seems to have taken off even more in recent years. So, it's been something that we've been trying to put together on a weekly basis, and everything fell into place this year."
The event will feature a rotating lineup of food trucks each week, with some staples attending regularly and others showing up more sporadically.
The Lehigh County Agricultural Society will keep the community updated with each week's attending food trucks via the event's Facebook page, DeFrain said.
The food truck lineup for the event's kick-off on April 30 is still being finalized, but DeFrain noted that the popular "Take a Taco" truck - known for its savory soft shell tacos - will be among those attending.
"We're really excited," DeFrain said.
"We think the fairgrounds is a good location for this, and so far, we've gotten really great feedback from the community. People are excited for this as well, for sure."
Food Trucks at the Fairgrounds will be held 4-8 p.m. Wednesdays, April 30 through Oct. 8, except for Aug. 20, Aug. 27 and Sept. 3 due to the Allentown Fair, DeFrain said.
The fair is the fulfillment of the society’s mission as stated in its bylaws.
It aims to improve and advance agriculture, horticulture, livestock, domestic and mechanical arts and the entertainment of its membership and patrons.
"The annual operation of The Great Allentown Fair for more than a century and a half is a testament to the viability and durability of the society’s mission conceived in 1852," a message on the society's website.
"The 21st century version of the fair is steeped in the tradition of its rich agricultural roots while highly emphasizing education for the non-agrarian public. Its diverse entertainment offerings attract attendees of all ages and tastes."
