“It was an over-the-top event,” organizer Rick Mah said. As an example, he said one of the trucks did $12,000 in business on the first day of the three-day festival. That is a number unheard of in the food truck business in these parts.

He heard similar stories from other truck owners. The festival was going to close at 7 p.m. each day, but one truck was still dishing out food at 9 p.m.

“The stories go on and on and on,” he said. “Every truck had a story.”

Mah didn’t have an official head count, but said the number of sales would indicate it was well up there. The festival moved from 20th Street in Riversdale to Fourth Avenue and 23rd Street this year.

He said the location was more central and the wider streets made it more convenient for the trucks and patrons.

Mah said in his travels on the site, it was evident that people wanted to get out and be with other people. He said long lineups at the trucks didn’t take the smiles off people’s faces. He also noticed a huge increase in the number of pets visiting the festival and is planning a surprise for the pet visitors next year.

While the entertainment package had to be cutback this year because of the lack of funding, there was one popular street show.

Gary Kopas, one of the most successful boxers to ever come out of Saskatoon, put his students through the paces in a ring on Fourth Avenue. (Kopas is on the left of the photo on this page.)

“It worked, didn’t it?” Mah said with a laugh. “It was something for people to watch while they were getting their food.”

The results of the inaugural FTW Festival Fan Vote are: Favourite Food Vendor – The Frying Deutschmann; Favourite Dessert Vendor – Mean Green Ice Cream Machine, and Favorite Beverage Vendor – 2 Lemons 1 Cup.

Foodtruck Wars will return next July 21-23.

-Cam Hutchinson