The Moorestown Business Association hosted its third annual food truck festival and end-of-summer block party with excited crowds in attendance on Aug. 17.
More than a dozen food trucks lined Main Street and live music was provided by DJ Blake and the local group Lost in Brunswick.
“It’s a great activity for Moorestown and a great time to bring people back into the community before school starts,” said Kathy Hiltner, former association president. “Our previous president – Steven Pazienza – he thought that it would be a great event to have it on Main Street.”
Hiltner noted the block party’s benefit to the township.
“ … It’s turned out to be a win-win for everybody,” she said. “The food trucks do well and the restaurants are packed, so it’s a great opportunity to bring people that don’t live in Moorestown to Moorestown to experience the town.”
“ … It’s really important to give the exposure to Moorestown, to other people, and food trucks are a huge, popular thing … It’s a great opportunity.”
Event Chair Steven Pazienza explained that it was first thought no one would attend the party in August.
“ … When we were talking about doing this, people said, ‘There’s nobody around in August and it’ll be a failure,’” he recalled. “ … Eventually we had the right people come in. They changed the ordinances to allow these food trucks to come in, and really it was a whole team effort to make it happen.”
Food vendors at the event included Cousins Maine Lobster, Dan’s Waffles, Not Your Mama’s Tacos, The Fabulous Fig and Ma & Pa’s Tex-Mex BBQ.
Pazienza said others were eager to participate.
“We were oversubscribed this year; we had a waiting list of people (wanting) to come in,” he noted. “I’m glad the community came out, because if they didn’t, the trucks wouldn’t come if there’s no business.”
The business association always looks for ways to bring new events to town.
“ … You always want the old, reliable comfort (and) what you know, but people want to see new stuff,” Pazienza acknowledged. “So we keep changing up and people show up …
“You never want it to be the same old, same old, where folks go, ‘Oh, there’s nothing new.’”
Pazienza also praised the association’s efforts.
“You have (a) full cooperation with the township,” he said. “ … It’s a wonderful thing that we can offer and it doesn’t happen if you don’t have everyone working together.”
“ … You have all these people just giving their time. You don’t do it because you think someone’s going to pat you on the back. It’s just when you see people coming out and enjoying themselves and families together, you know you did a good job.”
Pazienza would also like to see changes for next year that include allowing alcohol.
“ … It’s a block party, so when you have beer and wine, people stay longer,” he said. “You just have to make sure that it’s monitored …
“I’m going to offer next year and see if they want to do it, but at the end of the day, if the community doesn’t want to, I’m fine with it.”
