PA and NJ cuisine battle in Food Truck Border Brawl at SteelStacks in Bethlehem on June 10
From a press release:
It’s Garden State lobster rolls vs. Philly hoagies and tasty tacos battling mouth-watering empanadas, as the Food Truck Border Brawl presented by Provident Bank returns to the PNC Plaza at the SteelStacks in Bethlehem on Saturday, June 10.
The event at the PNC Plaza (645 E. 1st St., Bethlehem), which attracted 6,000 people in 2016, offers two public sessions; the first takes place from noon-3 p.m. and a second runs from 5-8 p.m., with a one-hour VIP hour preceding each public session.
Tickets for the food truck event, which has expanded from 16 to 20 trucks for 2017, are on sale now at steelstacks.org and 610-332-3378. Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 the day of the event for general admission or $8 in advance and $10 that day for ArtsQuest Members. Children ages 5-12 are $5, while kids 4 and under are free. Public VIP tickets are $20 in advance and $22 the day of the event or $18 in advance and $20 that day for ArtsQuest Members. The special VIP ticket includes a Musikfest mug and early access to visit all of the food trucks before the public session.
Proceeds from the Border Brawl go to support the nonprofit ArtsQuest’s free music, arts, and education programming for the region, including Musikfest, the largest free music festival in the nation.
At the Food Truck Border Brawl, 10 of the Garden State’s most dynamic mobile eateries go head to head against 10 of the Keystone State’s best food trucks while serving up amazing eats, including Wisconsin fried cheese curds, gourmet cupcakes, and Korean fusion like dumpling bowls and kimchi fries. All participants are members of the New Jersey Food Truck Association, Greater Lehigh Valley Mobile Food Alliance, or the Philadelphia Mobile Food Association.
Northeastern Pennsylvania will be represented by the popular Sweet Lush Cupcakery from Dunmore.
During the Border Brawl, both attendees and the event judging panel sample the trucks’ offerings and then vote for their favorites, with the People’s Choice and Best Overall Food Truck awards presented at the conclusion of the event. Returning to defend their Border Brawl crowns are 2016 Best Overall Food Truck winner Surf and Turf Truck of Hamilton, New Jersey, which wowed the judges and the crowds with its lobster rolls, and The Empanada Guy of Old Bridge, New Jersey, which captured the 2016 People’s Choice award.
Among the new participants for 2017 are Uncle Paul’s Stuffed Pretzels of Hamburg, Pennsylvania, which has twice appeared on the Food Network’s “Carnival Eats,” and Lexylicious of Toms River, New Jersey, which serves up delectable ice cream sandwiches that earned it a spot on NJ.com’s 2016 list of 40 great food trucks worth visiting.
In addition to an amazing array of food, the Border Brawl is enhancing its family-friendly focus for 2017 by adding in a new kids’ area with arts and crafts activities.
Lehigh Valley Provident Bank Market President June Webre says the bank is excited to be the presenting sponsor of the Border Brawl this year.
“This event offers a unique opportunity for us to raise awareness of our brand in the Lehigh Valley and strengthen our efforts to promote the bank in a market we’ve identified for growth,” says Webre.
“The Food Truck Border Brawl captures the fun and competitive spirit of the Lehigh Valley and is becoming an annual tradition for many.”
2017 Food Truck Border Brawl participants:
Pennsylvania food trucks:
Dos Hermanos Tacos – Ambler – new
Fired Up Artisan Oven – Allentown – new
Oink & Moo BBQ – Philadelphia
Philadelphia Hoagie Co. – Philadelphia – new
Philly Fry – Philadelphia
Phyllodelphia Greek & Mediterranean Food Truck – Glenmore – new
The Cow and The Curd – Philadelphia
The Happy Pita – Downingtown
Sweet Lush Cupcakery – Dunmore – new
Uncle Paul’s Stuffed Pretzels – Hamburg – new
New Jersey food trucks:
Bro-Ritos – Old Bridge – new
Cheezen – New Brunswick – new
Empanada Guy – Old Bridge
Jersey Johnny’s – Pequannock
Lexylicious – Toms River – new
My Four Suns – Hamilton
One Big Party BBQ – East Windsor – new
Pizza Vita – Summit
The Outslider – Freehold – new
The Surf and Turf Truck – Hamilton
Border Brawl hours:
Session I
VIP hour: 11 a.m.-noon
General admission: Noon-3 p.m.
Session II
VIP hour: 4-5 p.m.
General admission: 5-8 p.m.
