Before there was such a thing as the Panama City Beach Food Truck Festival, Food trucks have been gaining popularity all over the country.
Where the Food Truck Phenomenon Began
The movement began in Los Angeles, California. Truly a multicultural city, hungry Angeleno’s can find pretty much anything served from a food truck.
Texas BBQ, sushi, Korean short-rib tacos, bacon-stuffed cupcakes and just about anything else you can imagine!
Because of the diverse population and sheer physical size, LA is home to an incredibly diverse food palette.
Making it the ideal place for a phenomenon like this to take root.
Why Food Trucks?
From a caterers perspective, they are are able to prepare and serve the food they love with much lower overhead costs. They get to interact face-to-face with their customers, unlike a traditional restaurant setting.
On top of that, they can use events like the Panama City Beach Food Truck Festival to promote themselves and drive business to their bricks & mortar establishments.
Food trucks also have advantages to the hungry customer. Part of the appeal of Food Truck culture is being able to try something completely new and unfamiliar, without the commitment of going to a restaurant and paying for a full meal.
Another benefit, is being able to have multiple smaller portions of different foods in a single sitting. Enjoy fall-off-the-bone BBQ Ribs, traditional English Fish & Chips, and a slice of chicken and waffle pizza!
Besides that, it’s just fun to try a few bites of lots of different food with your friends and family, and see what everybody’s favorite is.
Food Truck Festival in Panama City Beach
Food trucks are just a normal alternative to a fast food joint or a restaurant on the West Coast. They are making their way further down South, including here in Panama City Beach, FL. The Food Truck festival is a single day event.
If you are counting calories, or watching your carbs – you might want to skip this one. Expect to consume until you’re full, and then see one more thing you’ve just gotta try before you leave!
Also, elastic waistbands might be a sensible strategic move that day. Expect to eat more than your fair share.
2017 marked the first Panama City Beach Food Truck Festival. Over 20 unique food trucks showed up to feed the hundreds of people that came hungry!
There were bacon-wrapped hot dogs and fried wings with waffles to tacos, creamy mac and cheese, juicy prime rib, wood-fired pizza, fresh poke bowls and delicious beignets.
Thirsty attendees could choose from over 50 craft beers from dozens of regional and national craft breweries to help it go down.
So Many Great Reasons to Attend!
It’s not just about the food though. Well, it is really, but there’s also plenty of other reasons to attend!
It’s a truly family-friendly event, with live music, face-painting, a selfie station, fun lawn games and artisan market selling handmade goods from local Panama City Beach artists. Oh, and if you have any fur-legged friends, they can attend too! So long as they are leashed.
The significant percentage of Food Trucks are from local restaurants who source ingredients locally too. So you’re also supporting a great community event.
Food trucks from as far and wide as Pensacola, Tallahassee and Alabama were at the inaugural event too.
Held at Aaron Bessant Park, the home of the Summer concert series, VIP access is available for a higher price and comes with numerous benefits including;
- Early admission to beat the lines
- Unlimited free water throughout the event
- $1 off a craft beer
- Free dessert (in case you are still hungry!)
This is an event that is expected to go from strength to strength each year.
There are likely to be new Food Trucks each year, so even if you have attended in the past, there is always an incentive to show up hungry again!
