(Grand Forks, ND) -- 2021 has been a "restart" year in many ways. Many people are finally feeling safe about attending events again, small businesses are anxious to make up for lost opportunities last year, and events have for the most part, been back up at full capacity. After deciding to still host its inaugural event amidst 2020’s pandemic, festival producers are excited to promote a bigger scaled fest at the Grand Cities Mall on August 27th-29th.
"Last year we knew the situation wasn’t perfect, but also realized the community had missed out on so many of these types of events, so we safely and successfully held a festival to the scale that made sense,” says Mike Schmitz, event organizer. “This year we’ve hand-picked a selection of 17 mobile food vendors, most of whom missed out on 20-30 events last year." A full cash “bier garten”, provided by Rumor’s will be available, but all ages are welcome in the food truck area.
Each festival day will feature a themed Food Truck competition (Fri.- Sweet Tooth Taste Test, Sat.- Makin’ Bacon Challenge & Sun.- Best of Oktoberfest,) where several trucks will make available, a specialty food item for that day’s respected contest. Each day is a little different, and Food Truck vendors claim it’s fun to compete amongst each other and see the foodie fans come back on multiple days.
Culinary offerings will range from the staple cheese curds and mini donuts to exotics like gourmet mac & cheese, walleye wraps and a brisket & kielbasa sandwich with cheese and secret sauce "and pretty much everything in between," added Schmitz. The second-year event will feature the best of Greater Grand Fork’s mobile food vendors as well as award winning trucks from around the region. Featuring an All-Star cast, this year’s fleet will contain multiple winners of the Bismarck and Fargo (sister events) Festival’s “Best of the Fest”, many of the daily Food Truck contest champions plus, Grand Forks based S&S Specialty Foods (winner of the 2020 Fargo “Sweet Tooth Taste Test” and 2020 Grand Forks “Best of the Fest- Judge’s Choice & Best of the Fest- People’s Choice.”
More info can be found here.
Things to know- Grand Forks Food Truck Festival
Grand Cities Mall Parking Lot (In front of former Kmart)
- Fri. Aug. 27th- 11am-8pm
- Sat. Aug. 28th- 10am-8pm
- Sun. Aug. 29th 11am-6pm
- All ages welcome
- 17 specialty food vendor
- Full cash bar
- Axe throwing
- Festival goers are welcome to bring lawn chairs but tables and chairs will also be onsite.
- There is plenty of free parking on mall property.
- Many vendors accept Credit/Debit Cards and ATM will be available.
- The North Dakota Department of Health will be on hand all weekend offering free Covid-19 vaccines.