It took a lot of creativity and a little help, but five food trucks that would normally be touring carnivals and festivals in B.C. have found a home at the Village Green Hotel’s parking lot in Vernon.
The food truck fair, Tastes of the Carnival, has been a smashing success, a good sign for the small business owners after their season was cancelled.
“Everything that I do was cancelled. Not a single job that I would normally go to,” said Heath Anderson, Taste of the Carnival organizer and owner of Uncle Buck’s Lil’ Doughnuts.
“Everything is gone so to come out here and do a little something instead of having this thing (his food truck) parked and sitting in my yard.”
The truck owners have been serving up everything from perogies and grilled cheese to Mexican fare and mini-doughnuts since June, and plan on going until they are snowed out.
“It’s worked out pretty good. We are here, having fun and serving people,” said Ryan Carlos, International Perogies owner.
The food truck fair has been an opportunity for two stands to start up a business —one a busy taco truck, the other a new twist on comfort food.
“It’s amazing. When you look around you see people enjoying food and now they can do it in a safe environment outdoors,” said Gordon Robinson, Gord Oh’s owner.
“It’s something I have always wanted to do … It’s fun, it’s a challenge but you know what, we are doing it, supporting each other, supporting local, you know there’s nothing better.
A Taste of the Carnival happens every Wednesday to Saturday from 12 p.m. until 8 p.m. at the Village Green Hotel’s parking lot in Vernon.