Food Truck Festival rolls through Tiger Lane this Saturday

This Saturday, Tiger Lane will be transformed into a food truck thoroughfare for the city’s first Mid-South Food Truck Fest. Nearly 30 food trucks from Memphis and the surrounding areas will gather to raise money for charity and take home best-of-breed titles in five competitions.

The trucks will compete for awards in side-item Finger Foods, small dessert Sweet Treats, and main course Dinner Bell. A Top Sales award will go to the highest-grossing truck. The People’s Choice award is based on popularity and determined by accruing $5 choice chips. Entrance to the event is free, but raffle tickets and people’s choice tokens chips will benefit Literacy Mid-South and Southern Friends Animal Society. The family-friendly event promises craft vendors and live music.

“Supporting local businesses is what makes a city turn a profit,” said Stan Perrin, organizer of the event and owner of Revolution Printing and Graphics. “I’m just someone trying to help out two local nonprofits and trying to build the food truck presence in Memphis.”

Out-of-town trucks registered from St. Louis, Jackon, Tenn., Atoka, Tenn., Shreveport, La., and Sheridan, Ark. Familiar favorites such as a Square Meal and Mark’s Grill will also be in attendance.

The festival is yet another indication that the Memphis food truck scene is rolling strong since the local food truck law was passed in 2011. The relatively new sector is enjoying continued growth in 2015–specifically in terms of access and awareness with a public that was largely unfamiliar with the concept and its potential.