Great New England BBQ & Food Truck Festival returns
Following a successful 2020 event despite social distancing regulations in place, the Great New England BBQ & Food Truck Festival is back, this year adding even more local food and beer vendors, games and activities. The third annual event is happening on Saturday, Aug. 14, at the Hampshire Dome in Milford, and will include food trucks, an afternoon of live local music, multiple craft and artisan vendors, a cornhole tournament and more.
“We were extremely happy with the outcome last year. I think people were so relieved to be able to get out safely and comfortably,” festival organizer Jody Donohue said. “We’re using both the inside and outside of the [Hampshire] Dome this year, so we have more space than before.”
Food trucks will be set up around the perimeter of the dome’s parking lot, with a diverse array of offerings, including several local to New Hampshire and others coming from nearby New England states. Prime Time Grilled Cheese, for example, has been an attendee favorite since the festival’s inception with its specialty grilled cheeses and “dessert” sandwiches like grilled s’mores and Fluffernutters. They’ll be back this year, along with Jayrard’s Java Cafe, a mobile trailer specializing in premium Costa Rican coffees and organic teas; and Sweet Crunch Bakeshop & Catering Co., which features freshly baked cookies.
New to this year’s festival are The Lobster Roller, a food trailer based in Gloucester, Mass., selling lobster rolls and New England-style clam chowder; and the Totally Thai Food Truck, which hails from Peterborough and serves up pad Thai, spring rolls and chicken satay. Other specialty eats and drinks will include fresh kettle corn popped on site, freshly squeezed lemonade, gourmet baked potatoes, and a plethora of barbecue options from brisket to pulled pork.
A “libations tent” will be in the center of the lot, featuring craft beers from local purveyors, like Frogg Brewing of Marlborough, Martha’s Exchange of Nashua, and Able Ebenezer Brewing Co. of Merrimack. Homemade sangria from Dave Bourgault of The Hills Restaurant at Milford’s Hampshire Hills Athletic Club will also be poured.
Around 50 vendors will be selling their goods both indoors and outdoors for the duration of the festival, from specialty foods to crafts and artisan products.
Live music will be featured all day long, starting with Peter Pappas from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., followed by Brian Weeks from 1 to 4 p.m. and Robert Allwarden from 4 to 7 p.m. The crew from 106.3 Frank FM will also be there between noon and 2 p.m., doing a live broadcast and offering photo opportunities with their promotional van, Donohue said.
A kids zone that was eliminated from last year’s festival amid safety concerns is due to make a return this time around, featuring bounce houses, face-painting, henna tattoos and more. A cornhole tournament is planned too, likely taking place around 2 p.m. indoors on the dome’s turf field, with warmups at 1 p.m. According to Donohue, interested participants can sign up that day at $15 per player, for a chance to win a cash prize.
Third annual Great New England BBQ & Food Truck Festival
When: Saturday, Aug. 14, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Where: The Hampshire Dome, 34 Emerson Road, Milford
Cost: General admission tickets are $5 in advance and $10 at the gate (free for attendees ages 14 and under). Food and crafts are priced per item. Cornhole tournament tickets are $15 per player.
More info: gne.ticketleap.com/foodtruckfest to purchase advance tickets online
Free parking is available on site. Masks are optional. Socially distanced seating will be provided, but attendees are welcome to bring their own blankets. No pets are allowed.
Participating food vendors
• Barry’s Hot Sauce (barryshotsauce.com)
• Coco’s Coffee (cocoscoffeenh.com)
• Dandido Sauce (dandidosauce.com)
• Extreme Concessions, Inc. (find them on Facebook)
• The Greatest BBQ of New England (greatestbbqofnewengland.com)
• Get Baked Potato Co. (getbakedpotato.com)
• Jayrard’s Java Cafe (jayrards.com)
• La Chula Truck (find them on Facebook)
• Little Charlotte’s Kettle Corn (find them on Facebook @charlotteskettlecorn)
• The Lobster Roller (thelobsterroller.com)
• Local LunchBox Truck (find them on Facebook)
• Mak’n Ends Meat Food Truck (find them on Facebook @maknendsmeat)
• Mooseman’s Kettle Corn (moosemanskettlecorn.com)
• Prime Time Grilled Cheese (primetimegrilledcheese.com)
• The Stand “Shaken not Stirred” (find them on Facebook @thestandshakennotstirred)
• Sub Zero Nitrogen Ice Cream (subzeroicecream.com)
• Sweet Crunch Bakeshop & Catering Co. (sweetcrunchbakeshop.com)
• Temple Street Diner Food Truck (find them on Facebook)
• Totally Thai Food Truck (find them on Facebook @totallythaifoodtruck)
• Twins 4 Life Creations (twins4lifecreations.com)
• Uncle Joey’s Cannoli (unclejoeyscannoli.com)
Featured photo: Courtesy of the The Lobster Roller food truck.