Food Truck and Fun Fest takes to the street this weekend

WHITEHALL, Ohio (WCMH) – Food trucks, entertainers and local vendors return this Saturday for the 11th annual Food Truck and Fun Fest.

The festival is a free event that will feature 36 food trucks and 34 local vendors, crafters and service providers who will offer an array of homemade goods for purchase. For the first time, this year’s event will also feature a Workforce and Wellness pavilion, which will host employers looking to hire and medical wellness checks. 

This year’s performers will include DJ Mix Master ICE, Discarded Mischief, Mojo Flo and headliner Karyn White, known for ‘80s and ‘90s hits like “Romantic,” “The Way You Love Me” and “Superwoman.” 

Whitehall Director of Public Service Casey Thomas said preparations for the event begin as early as January, citing the 11-year history as a good base when establishing their timeline. She said they start by exploring music acts, securing vendors and ensuring electronic access. 

Thomas said the festival brings in an average of 25,000 attendees to the quarter-mile venue down Yearling Road. 

Thomas said the new Workforce and Wellness initiative came from Mayor Michael Bivens’ emphasis on diversity, equity and inclusion and a partnership with the Franklin County Board of Commissioners.

“We brainstormed as a team on how we could enhance the lives of the folks in our community,” Thomas said. “We are super excited to see how many opportunities grow from this new, and hopefully recurring, component.” 

Resources at the pavilion will include health screenings and wellness checks from Heart of Ohio Health centers and Mount Carmel, as well as on-site interviews with employers like UPS, according to a Facebook post for the City of Whitehall. The pavilion will also offer educational activities from COSI and Whitehall City Schools, along with representatives from various higher education programs. 

Now sold out, the festival also offered VIP tickets. These tickets included 2 drink tickets each, along with “premium seating” and access to private restrooms, according to the city. The VIP area opens at 4 p.m.

The festival also offers a “Rock City Kid’s Zone,” which will feature free activities like bounce houses and mural painting until 5 p.m. 

Among the food trucks participating is Schmidt’s Sausage Truck. Andy Schmidt, owner and “visionary” for Schmidt’s, said the festival is one of their favorites to attend each year.

“It’s really special to us because it was one of the first true food truck festivals that we participated in a decade ago when we got into the food truck business,” Schmidt said.

Schmidt's and the other food trucks will serve attendees and a small panel of judges. Hanja Morales, a Whitehall native, is one of two community food truck judges selected for this year. He said he applied for the volunteer judge position with low expectations, but he’s happy to be part of a festival he has attended for years.

“Going from attending the festival to being one of the judges is an absolutely amazing feeling and I’m so very excited,” Morales said. 

The food truck festival was first held in 2013, where the Saturday event also fell on July 27. In its inaugural year, the festival featured 25 food trucks. Since then, the festival has been free for Whitehall citizens each year, with the exception of a COVID-19 cancellation in 2020. 

This year’s event will take place from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., although after 9 p.m. the event is 21-and-older only, according to the event schedule. Last call is also at 9 p.m., when drink ticket sales stop. Alcohol sales end at 9:30 p.m.