Crowds pack first-ever Lakeville Food Truck Festival
Makayla Kuszaj, of Middleboro, bites into a taco at the first-ever Lakeville Food Truck Festival on Saturday, July 12. Photos by Ethan Hunt
Patrons form a long line waiting to try Uncle Joey’s Cannolis. 
Jonathan Williams explains how the cigars he sells are infused with alcohol. 
Dennis Mahoney and Cam Dunlap of The Sausage Guy food truck, work the flat top preparing sausages for waiting customers. 
One of two tractors offering hayrides takes off from the rear of the event grounds. 
Diana and Jeff Paine prepare Cap Cod Wicked Cool Kettle Corn. 
Brenda Thibault and Raphael Chinea of New Bedford share a large bowl of mac and cheese from one food truck dedicated entirely to the pasta.
Milo Roberto takes a turn at the bubble station along with scores of other children. 
Sophia Hathaway, right, of Lakeville tries her hand at Connect Four. 
By 3 p.m., the entrance line still stretched into the parking field at Angers Conway Farm.
Makayla Kuszaj, of Middleboro, bites into a taco at the first-ever Lakeville Food Truck Festival on Saturday, July 12. Photos by Ethan Hunt
Patrons form a long line waiting to try Uncle Joey’s Cannolis.
Jonathan Williams explains how the cigars he sells are infused with alcohol.
Dennis Mahoney and Cam Dunlap of The Sausage Guy food truck, work the flat top preparing sausages for waiting customers.
One of two tractors offering hayrides takes off from the rear of the event grounds.
Diana and Jeff Paine prepare Cap Cod Wicked Cool Kettle Corn.
Brenda Thibault and Raphael Chinea of New Bedford share a large bowl of mac and cheese from one food truck dedicated entirely to the pasta.
Milo Roberto takes a turn at the bubble station along with scores of other children.
Sophia Hathaway, right, of Lakeville tries her hand at Connect Four.
By 3 p.m., the entrance line still stretched into the parking field at Angers Conway Farm.
LAKEVILLE — The first-ever Lakeville Food Truck Festival kicked off at noon on Saturday, July 12, and by 3 p.m., the entrance line still stretched into the parking field at Angers Conway Farm.
Festival organizer Anthony Pepe said the turnout exceeded all expectations, as over 3,000 people filed in to sample offerings from food trucks and vendor stands featuring everything from cannolis and tacos to craft beers and alcohol-infused cigars.
“We never in our right minds anticipated a crowd like this. Ever. This is probably one of the biggest crowds we’ve had in New England in a long time. It’s fantastic, the people of Lakeville showed up today,” Pepe said.
The parking lot overflowed, and cars lined surrounding streets as attendees packed in to enjoy the offerings from several dozen vendors.
“We’re getting crushed. We’re moving fast, but we’re getting crushed. We’re cooking more — this is the second or third time we’ve cooked,” said Dennis Mahoney of The Sausage Guy food truck, as he worked a spatula over a flat top grill filled with onions, peppers and sausages.
Like many vendors at the festival, The Sausage Guy is a growing business that serves its product across New England.
Across the event grounds at the Cape Cod Wicked Good Kettle Corn stand, Diana Paine filled large bags with salty and sweet kettle corn. The Mattapoisett-based, family-run business sometimes offers flavored options, but on Saturday there were just “too many people” for it, Paine said.
Near the kettle corn station, Kevin and Kathy Grinnell served cannolis from Uncle Joey’s Cannoli food truck to a long line of eager patrons.
Kevin Grinnell said “Uncle Joey,” Joe Sidelinger, started the business more than five years ago, operating out of a single van. Now, the company has four food trucks and two vans — and is still growing.
“He travels all over New England, sometimes down to Delaware,” Grinnell said.
Once attendees had their food, drink or cigar, they had several options for activities. Hayrides regularly circled Angers Conway, while on the event grounds cornhole bags flew, children played Connect Four and blew large bubbles at the bubble station. Others chose to relax in the shade near the stage, where music played from large speakers, or lounged in lawn chairs by the pond.
Food Truck Festivals of America began in Plymouth in 2011. Over the years, the company expanded and started “chasing the sun,” Pepe said, hosting festivals across the country.
He decided to try a festival in Lakeville after stumbling across a Facebook post about a tractor pull hosted by Angers Conway earlier this year.
“This is the first year we’re doing it here, but we hope to come back for the next 10 years. This is spectacular. The people are awesome,” Pepe said.
Event Date
