Natalie Mercado hands out a bubble waffle ice cream creation at the Sweetera & Co. food truck.
Reminder Publishing photo by Sarah Heinonen
SPRINGFIELD — Mix 20 different food sellers, 10 musical acts and a host of craft vendors all within one city block and what do you get? Indian Orchard’s 8th annual Food Truck Festival.
The Oct. 12 event was hosted by the Indian Orchard Citizen’s Council and sponsored by the Massachusetts and Springfield cultural councils. The festival took place on Main Street, which was blocked off from Oak Street to Myrtle Street for the event. For the first six years, the parking lot across from Myrtle Street Park hosted the food trucks, but last year, the festival outgrew its location and expanded to encompass the block of Main Street.
City Councilor Zaida Govan, who was one of the original organizers, said the festival began with five trucks and about 200 people. This year, she expected more than 1,500 people to check out the festival.
“It brings people together,” Govan said. “I felt like people didn’t know each other.” When they come to the Food Truck Festival, she said neighbors talk and socialize. People come from Northampton, Wilbraham, Chicopee, and other area communities to experience the festival.
This year, festivalgoers had their choice of 22 food trucks offering more than a dozen types of food. There were plenty of options for Spanish food with Las Papi Plantanos, Carlos Pinchos, Fuji’s Food Truck, El Sabor de Mami and DHI Puerto Rican Cuisine. Halal Bowl served Middle Eastern fare, while Rodney’s Spice Kitchen sold Jamaican flavors. There were also egg rolls from Crav’n Crumbs, potatoes from Yomos Baked and cheeseburgers by Bill Gray’s. For dessert, Batch and Sweetera & Co. both offered ice cream.
Eduardo Ramos, owner of El Tacos Tao, and Eric Maldonado of Fire House Hot Dogs both returned to the festival this year. Eduardo Ramos said that he served more than 500 tacos and burritos at last year’s festival. Maldonado recalled when he first started bringing his truck to the festival in 2021.
“There might have been eight trucks,” he said. “It’s just gotten so big. We run out. That’s why it’s good to have so many food trucks here.”
Food was not the only thing on offer at the Food Truck Festival. Musicians also brought an array of styles to the event. Brian Chicoine played honky-tonk country music, while Tony Harrington & Touch sang classic R&B. Orquesta Salsa Brava and Bomba Plena offered Latin-inspired sounds, Fever played a wide variety of pop music and Beast Mode brought funk, soul and rock. A few different jazz musicians took the stage, including Bad News Jazz & Blues Orchestra and Jazz Soul and the Marlborough Street Band.
“One of the biggest takeaways is people can see the talent that we have in Springfield,” state Rep. Orlando Ramos (D-Springfield) said, referring to the food, music and craft vendors on display. “This is by far the biggest event in Indian Orchard and one of the biggest in the city of Springfield. I think as it continues to grow, it’ll become the biggest event in Springfield.”
