Expect some flavour to roll into town this month for the Columbia StrEAT Food Truck Fest.
Downtown's main strip will become a sea of food trucks on Saturday, Aug. 23 for the festival, now in its second year and organized by the Downtown New Westminster Business Improvement Area (BIA).
"We're hoping for 40,000 (attendees)," said BIA executive director Kendra Johnston.
They plan to feed the hungry visitors with offerings from about 50 food carts as well as a mini-farmers' market.
The association beefed up the number of food trucks after last year's event, which had just 15 trucks. The BIA was expecting 10,000 people to turn up in 2013 - but double that number came out. The hefty turnout meant people had to wait in "horrendous" line-ups for food - something Johnston hopes to minimize this time around.
"It was the best possible problem to have, but a big problem," she said.
Hopefully, the only problem attendees have this year is deciding on what to order from the many delicious food truck offerings.
The fest will include what Johnston called "atmospheric" live music - performers playing not on a stage but throughout the event. There will also be a "pop-up park," offering visitors a place to lay down a picnic blanket and enjoy their meal.
Beer gardens will be located at The Heritage Grill, The Columbia and The Met, with the latter featuring local favourites Steel & Oak craft beers.
"Feedback from last year was for more craft beer," Johnston said.
More beer offerings and more food trucks likely means more fun all around. For the entire list of tasty culinary offerings trucking this way, visit www.downtownnewwest.ca.
