3rd Annual Salem Food Truck Festival
By Katie Kobel
Attracting thousands of people, the Salem Food Truck Festival is one of the largest food truck festivals in New England. The 3rd Annual Salem Food Truck Festival was held September 29th and 30th and had 45 different vendors. With so many options from burgers, fries, sandwiches, desserts, to having vegan/vegetarian options, there was no way to leave on an empty stomach. Having the event right in the Salem Common also seemed to be the perfect way to kick off the events to come in Salem during the month of October.
Burgers from Open Season were cooked to perfection and left customers full after one burger but still wanting to go back for more. Loaded French fries from Friskies really were “the crispiest in town”. Add in some fried food on a stick from Big Daddy’s and you’ve got yourself a great meal. For vegetarians there were so many options. At Open Season, the “Lousy Hunter” would be a great choice with a bean, rice, and sweet potato patty stacked with avocado, cheddar jack cheese, and sriracha lime pressed on a whole wheat wrap…absolutely delicious.
To finish off the meal, grab dessert from one of the many options available. Maybe some chocolate covered strawberries from ShishkaBerry, a delicious cupcake or cheesecake in a mason jar from Clyde’s, or try one of the 11 different whoopie pies from the Whoo(pie) Wagon. If you’re feeling ice cream, try an ice cream sandwich from Cookie Monstah where you can pick your own cookies and ice cream flavors to make a custom dessert just for you. (If you’re feeling up for it, just try one of everything like I did.)
Although the food is the main attraction, the atmosphere alone can draw a crowd. The festival’s free admission also includes live music, a beer garden by Notch Brewing, a park, and thousands of people. If your family includes a dog, stop at the Whoo(pie) Wagon and get a “Woofie Pie” so they can enjoy the food, too! With so many dogs there attending, yours is bound to make a new friend.
And you can bet that being centered in Salem so close to October meant that the witches were out! The Sanderson Sisters were at the festival and ready for some photos with the crowd. With the locals preparing for Halloween, you get a small glimpse of what the upcoming month has to offer.
