Food truck fest coming to Gulf Shores

By Guy Busby
Government Editor
guy@gulfcoastmedia.com
Posted 10/5/22

GULF SHORES — Residents and visitors in Gulf Shores will have a chance to sample offerings from food trucks from the area and other regions during the first food truck and craft beer festival …

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Food truck fest coming to Gulf Shores

The first Coastal Alabama Food Truck and Craft Beer Festival will be held Nov. 12 and 13 at Gulf Place in Gulf Shores. The event will include up to 26 food trucks from the area and other parts of the country, organizers said.
The first Coastal Alabama Food Truck and Craft Beer Festival will be held Nov. 12 and 13 at Gulf Place in Gulf Shores. The event will include up to 26 food trucks from the area and other parts of the country, organizers said.
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GULF SHORES — Residents and visitors in Gulf Shores will have a chance to sample offerings from food trucks from the area and other regions during the first food truck and craft beer festival in November.

The event will be Nov. 12 and 13 in the Town Green in Gulf Place, Grant Brown, city public information officer, said.

Brown said the event is being put on by Food Truck Festivals of America, which has produced similar events in Panama City and other areas of the country.

"It's a first-time event and the applicants are from the Northeast and have produced this event in Panama City and other areas here in the South. Our Gulf Shores and Orange Beach Tourism bureau has done a good job of researching the event and making sure that the applicants in their other destinations have done a good job and put forth a good festival and a good event at a time of year that we could use extra people in the town," Brown said.

In addition to local food trucks, the event will also include new culinary vehicles from other areas, Brown said.

"They're approaching up to 26 different food trucks from around the area, around the Southeast and around the country that they're going to try to encourage to come," Brown said.

Brown said Anthony Pepe with Food Truck Festivals of America approached Gulf Shores/Orange Beach Tourism while looking for a location to hold the festival. He said Gulf Place was selected as the site.

Councilman Steve Jones said the festival has been held in many areas of the country and is a chance to bring national attention to the Gulf Shores area.

"Panama City is the closest they've held one of these events before, but they've staged these all over up and down the east coast," Jones said. "They've had quite a few of these as I understand, geographically, it's not limited to this area."

The event will be open to the public and will not be gated or require tickets.

The Coastal Alabama Business Chamber will operate a beer tent that will include craft beers distributed through the Gulf Distributing Company, Brown said. Identifications will be checked, and beer buyers will receive a wrist band to show that they are old enough to buy alcohol.

The festival will also include music, provided by either a DJ or band, and games. Brown said a large-screen television could also be set up to show football games during the event.

"It's a family-friendly, fun event," Brown said. "They'll have some tailgate party activities down there, some corn-hole games and things."

He said local officials have been working with festival organizers to make certain that all food trucks, including those from outside the area, meet local health and safety regulations.

"When they get here, they need to know that they have their propane tanks inspected and their cooking things," Brown said. "The hood system has to be properly inspected and is up to date on their inspection, so we feel like we've done a good job of telling them what our requirements are."