Food Truck Festival Will Return To Downtown Aurora After 2-Year Hiatus

AURORA, IL — After two years off due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Food Truck Festival is returning to downtown Aurora the first weekend of May. Almost 30 food trucks will gather to offer visitors a variety of delicious bites.

This year's event will be the fifth time Aurora Downtown, a nonprofit organization that oversees Special Service Area One, which encompasses the city’s downtown business district, is hosting the food-centric festival.

Food trucks will pack Benton Street, from River Street to Broadway, during the event running from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. May 6.

When Food Truck Fest first started, it originated on Downer Place. But Marissa Amoni, manager of Aurora Downtown, said that due to Benton Street's "perfect" layout, there aren't currently any plans to move its location in future years. About a dozen food trucks will be staged on each bridge.

Vendors will range from Auntie Vee's Kitchen and Wurst Kitchen to Grumpy Gaucho, Holy Pierogi and Strawberries BBQ.

Local vendors won't be the only ones participating in the event. Organizers said trucks from Chicagoland and around the region will drive to Aurora to take part in Food Truck Festival.

"We've worked hard to continue the local vibe of the festival as it’s grown over the years," Amoni said in a statement. "It's welcoming with no fee to enter, and we feature local nonprofits in lieu of corporate sponsors."

The nonprofit's monthly First Fridays programming will take place simultaneously with the festival. About two dozen venues throughout downtown will open their doors for art shows, live music and other entertainment.

"It's important for us to keep the event as part of First Fridays, so that people can come down and see everything that's happening downtown," Amoni said. "There's been incredible growth in the past few years that we're excited to highlight."

During the festival, DJ Suavesmooth will provide musical entertainment, and Aurora Public Library's Bookmobile will be parked along Benton Street.