A no messing around guide to the coolest things to eat, drink and do in Vancouver and beyond. Community. Not clickbait.

DINER: “Food Cart Fest” Set To Return For Sundays Full Of Awesome All Summer Long

IMG_2771

Need another reason to be stoked for this summer’s imminence? The awesome outdoor extravaganza so deliciously seared into our memories as Food Cart Fest is set to make its tasty return every Sunday this summer – starting June 23rd – at a new location: 215 West 1st Avenue. It’s going to be bigger than ever before, with some 20 food trucks parked laager-style around communal tables with community markets, live music, and all manner of ancillary vendors besides making it the raddest bit of real estate in the city ($2 entry charge). We mentioned this excellent eventuality back in March when the old Waldorf team announced the launch of their new agency, Arrival, but now the deets are locked in and we’re super exited to share! Here’s the full skinny, complete with a map that comes free of drool stains…

sized

The Arrival Agency and the Streetfood Vancouver Society are pleased to announce the second annual Food Cart Fest. Beginning Sunday, June 23, at its new home at 215 West 1st Avenue, the festival will run for 14 weeks until September 22. Boasting one of the largest gatherings of food carts in North America, this year’s festival will highlight Vancouver’s exploding street food culture.

Not strictly for foodies though, Food Cart Fest is also about enjoying the summer with friends and family. Building on what many considered a highlight of last summer, each week over 20 food carts will be complemented by community markets, live music, DJs, craft food vendors, and kids’ activities.

After a successful first year, where attendance was upwards of 5,000 each week, the festival is expecting even more people in its new, centralized location. The Arrival Agency worked with Mayor Gregor Robertson and the staff of the City of Vancouver to find an ideal location for the event this year. “We are really excited to be in the heart of the city, connected by so many transit options and right along the Seawall,” says Arrival’s Ernesto Gomez.

The festival’s new location is adjacent to the Cambie Street Bridge and the Olympic Village; between West 1st Avenue and the Seawall (where Cavalia: A Magical Encounter Between Human and Horse took place). The site is a short walk from the Canada Line’s Olympic Village Station; the Aquabus’ Spyglass Place Dock; and bus routes along Broadway, Cambie, Main, and West 2nd Avenue.

Vancouver was recently named one the top three cities for food carts in North America by Travel+Escape and has been drawing international praise for its diverse and delicious street food. “We’re excited to have the entire summer to showcase why we do such a damn fine job here in Vancouver,” says Kaboom Box’s Andy Fielding.

FOOD CART FEST 2013

Launching Sunday, June 23 | 12pm-6pm
Happens every Sunday until September 22 (14 weeks)
215 West 1st Avenue
Admission is $2
Children 13 and under get in free
www.foodcartfest.com
www.facebook.com/foodcartfest

Scout Magazine is a proud sponsor of Food Cart Fest. We’ll be seeing you there!

There are 14 comments

  1. $2 entry? Seriously? How many times will people return if they are bringing a family, 5 people, $10, entry fee is a meal in itself.

  2. TWO BUCKS?!? TWO BUCKS?!? Seriously, I’m with you Phil, that’s a dealbreaker.

  3. I wonder if the lineups will be just as long as last year. Apparently 1-1.5 hour lineups for certain carts were not uncommon.

  4. Loved the Food Truck Fest last year, and will go again this year. But I do sigh at the $2 entry fee. No, it’s not much more than I can usually find between my couch cushions, but it’s one of those death-from-a-thousand-papercuts things. I was in Portland last week and enjoyed great food from one of their food truck clusters. It rarely moves, and is free. Why can’t we just do something like that? Is it a legal thing with the city? I’m curious.

  5. Yes, $2 is more than the ‘free’ entry of last year, but that’s when the producers of the event had their own real estate to work with. With the food trucks offering their regular prices to cover their own costs, how do those complaining about TWO DOLLARS think that the space, entertainment, porta-potties, kids activities, security and so on should be covered?

  6. We’ve heard a few people express their concerns about the admission fee to Food Cart Fest this year. We made it as low as possible and without it this event would, unfortunately, not be possible. The $2 goes towards covering the festival’s production, rent, and entertainment expenses. It essentially offsets the cost of doing Food Cart Fest without the Waldorf’s infrastructure, which we had last year.

    For families, the maximum price of admission will be $5 and If the cost is truly prohibitive to you attending Food Cart Fest, please get in touch and we will sort you out. We hope to see you all there.

  7. If you are a Vancity Member then your entrance is free. Just show them your card.

  8. An entry? Are you serious??? Other cities dont charge this, and this is a first for Vancouver. I will no be attending out of principle, despite how minimal this charge is. I’m happy to eat at, and support out city’s food carts other times, when I do not have to pay this fee.

  9. Is it just me, or is it weird that people are complaining about a $2 entry fee, but will have no problem paying for $9 grilled cheese sandwiches?

  10. can lucie b share these other city events where something of this size (25+ trucks) and format is being done on public property with thousands of people attending, live music, djs, childrens entertainment and so on? or maybe offer her financial strategy for making something like this work?

  11. No one who employs several question marks for emphasis need ever explain themselves. They’re just right (in their own little way), and we move on.

  12. Right on Lucie B! It’s time to fight the good fight against these fat cats who are getting rich and living the high life on our toonies!

  13. can anyone tell me what is the best time to get to the festival to avoid as long of a wait..coming with someone who cant stand for long periods of time..what is the admission line like if we get there at 11 or 1130? Please help..I wouldhate to drive an hour to get there without this info?

Field Trip: Tagging Along for a “Glorious” Tomato Appreciation Feast

Inspired by their love of tomatoes and everything that farmer Mark Cormier and his farm crew put into growing them, the team from Say Hey Sandwiches head out to Aldergrove on a mission to cook a feast for the Glorious Organics team...

Reverence, Respect, and Realization: What The Acorn Taught Me

At 21 years old, I'm still just a kid and relatively new to working in restaurants, but I grew up umbilically tied to the hospitality industry. My father was a food writer, and my mother is a photographer. Their careers meant that most of my early years were spent in kitchens and dining rooms instead of on playgrounds and soccer fields; consequently, I learned my table manners before I could count past one hundred.

Amanda MacMullin Talks Seeking New Challenges and Becoming a ‘Grizzled Old Bartender’

Rhys Amber recently sat down with The Diamond bartender to catch up, swap 'war stories' and discuss the minutiae of the crazy, hospitality life.

On Expensive Hobbies, Title-Chasing & Getting ‘Rinsed’ in the Kitchen, with Josh Stel

The veteran Vancouver pan jockey and recently appointed Chef de Cuisine at The Mackenzie Room possesses a slew of attributes harder and harder to come by these days, so Rhys saw it fitting to reach out and see what makes him tick.