Food trucks, music draw visitors to Bicentennial Park
West Virginia Food Truck Festival attendees stand in line to get food from The Hungry House truck Saturday evening. (Photo by Gwen Sour)
Luke Columbo performs an original song during the West Virginia Food Truck Festival at Bicentennial Park Saturday. (Photo by Gwen Sour)
From left, Tanre Franklin and Javier Santelices prepare food for the Sol de Montani Chile LTD Co during the West Virginia Food Truck Festival. (Photo by Gwen Sour)
From left, Layla Owens and Michelle Molinary draw on the sidewalk, one of the activities offered for younger attendees at the West Virginia Food Truck Festival Saturday at Bicentennial Park. (Photo by Gwen Sour)
West Virginia Food Truck Festival attendees stand in line to get food from The Hungry House truck Saturday evening. (Photo by Gwen Sour)
Luke Columbo performs an original song during the West Virginia Food Truck Festival at Bicentennial Park Saturday. (Photo by Gwen Sour)
From left, Tanre Franklin and Javier Santelices prepare food for the Sol de Montani Chile LTD Co during the West Virginia Food Truck Festival. (Photo by Gwen Sour)
From left, Layla Owens and Michelle Molinary draw on the sidewalk, one of the activities offered for younger attendees at the West Virginia Food Truck Festival Saturday at Bicentennial Park. (Photo by Gwen Sour)
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PARKERSBURG - Food trucks, live music and family activities drew visitors to Bicentennial Park for the West Virginia Food Truck Festival, an event inspired by residents' requests to celebrate their state.
Parkersburg City Councilman Zac Huffman, the event's organizer, said the festival featured 11 food trucks, five other vendors and six bands. Admission was free, with live music expected to continue into the late evening.
The festival grew out of conversations Huffman had while campaigning door to door. He said residents told him they wanted an event celebrating all things West Virginia.
"It was the residents themselves who gave me the idea, and I just kind of made a commitment to them that we would do it yearly," Huffman said.
Last year's event took place on West Virginia Day. This year, Huffman said, organizers moved the festival later in the summer to avoid competing with other festivals or hurting their attendance. He described the gathering as the final party of the summer.
Along with the food and music, the festival included a children's area. Bags containing West Virginia University gear were available to the first 50 children to arrive, Huffman said.
Performers included Zac Robins, Luke Columbo, Cody Clayton Eagle, Grady Ballard, The Travelers and Band of Brothers.
Organizers also set up a Mountaineer-themed section where they planned to show the WVU game that evening.
Huffman encouraged residents to pursue their own ideas for downtown events.
"I want everyone to know that if they have an idea for an event, we welcome it," he said.
He said obtaining permission from the city to host an event downtown is more accessible than people might expect and offered to help others interested in organizing one.
"I highly encourage anybody who has an idea, just like I had an idea one day, to go for it," Huffman said.
"The more festivals downtown, the better."
Huffman also thanked Jan Dils, WVU Medicine and Hall Financial Advisors for sponsoring the event.