Alton Food Truck Festival returns to Alton Amphitheater Aug. 26 with nearly 20 trucks and live music

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The ninth annual Alton Food Truck Festival will take place from 4 to 8 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 26, at the Liberty Bank Alton Amphitheater at 1 Riverfront Drive in Alton, Illinois. Trucks such as Treaux’s Cajun BBQ, Zacchi and Beast Craft BBQ will be present. A full list of the participating food trucks can be found here. 

Having taken place since 2014, the Alton Food Truck Festival has grown every year, averaging around 20 trucks and ranging from 4,000 to 7,000 attendees per year. Alton Amphitheater Commission chair Dan Herkert spoke of the pride that the city of Alton has for both the event and the opportunities it brings to the Alton community. “It's one of the larger food truck festivals in the Midwest and is one of the most popular events that we host every year on our riverfront,” said Herkert. “We're very proud that it has become such a success and such a great event for our community because it not only benefits our community by bringing people in and being a source of good family fun, but it also benefits our local businesses as people explore and experience our community. They go to check out the food truck festival and then they head out and check out some of our other bars and restaurants and retail establishments. So, it's just a great overall day on the riverfront.”

Of all the food trucks that will be present at the event, Herkert wanted to acknowledge local Illinois-based truck Pig on a Wing, which is famous for its burgers and sandwiches, for being not only a great partner to the amphitheater but for bringing in many members of the Alton community. 

“They have been here every year of the event, and they’ve been a great partner to the amphitheater commission,” said Herkert. “They are very popular not only at the food truck festival but throughout the region. Their menu is extremely popular, and at every event we've ever had, they pretty much sell out, so I always like to give them a shout-out because they go above and beyond to help us out and make our events successful and positive for our community.”

In addition to the trucks, water and soda, along with selections from Alton-based Old Bakery Beer Co. will also be available for purchase, plus a couple domestic beer options. Party band Push the Limit will be performing live music throughout the night. 

Additionally, the Alton Section of the National Council of Negro Women will be volunteering and assisting with the event, a partnership that Herkert is happy to continue this year. 

“They've done a lot of events for us in the past, and they are a great group to work with. We absolutely love working with them. They helped the food truck festival last year and did an absolutely outstanding job, and we're looking forward to having those ladies back on the riverfront this year.” 

Herkert acknowledged that the success of this event would not be possible without the hard work and dedication of his fellow commissioners, and the support of the Amphitheater’s sponsors. 

“I have to give credit to my fellow commissioners for all the time and effort that they put in to make these events possible, and to the sponsors that every year generously support us so that we can put on these kinds of events,” said Herkert.

Ultimately, Herkert hopes that the festival will once again provide a positive, community-driven experience, while also welcoming newcomers to experience the city of Alton and the local food trucks that will be present. 

“It’s really great to see not only local folks, but people coming from outside of Alton to experience our community. Any positive event is one in which people meet their friends and have that camaraderie, or they make new friends and meet new people. We encourage people to bring their lawn chairs and their blankets and enjoy the grounds. It's got a very community and family-oriented atmosphere, and it's great to see people – especially in the divided world we live in – show up for an event with a crowd that large. It's just a fantastic day in which people can enjoy themselves in a positive atmosphere with great food and great music to promote our community, and hopefully they come back not only to the amphitheater, but to Alton in general.” 

For more information on both the festival and the amphitheater, visit the Liberty Bank Amphitheater website.