by Steve Sears

The Township of Pequannock’s 5th Annual Food Truck Festival will be held on Saturday, July 6, from 11 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. at PV (Pequannock Valley) Park.

The event was started in 2015 in hopes of increasing PV Park Woodland Lake membership. “It was a way to get folks through the gate to see just how beautiful the park is,” says Barb Meloy,  Recreation Coordinator for Pequannock Department of Parks & Recreation. “Anytime we can expose any of our facilities to the community is a good thing!”

The folks who initially came up with the idea were the Parks & Recreation staff in 2015, Director Denise Furfaro, along with Meloy and Katie Frey. The three wanted, in Meloy’s words, “something new and different to get people through the gates and enjoy a day at the beach.” There is a $3 entry fee for non-PV Park members, and PV park members are admitted free. The festival is open to both residents of Pequannock and non-residents. “Yes, we charge a small fee for non-members,” says Meloy. “We chose PV Park to showcase the facility, hoping to increase membership.  After our first food truck festival at the park, we did see an increase!”

This year’s festival will feature 10 vendors: Jersey Johnny, R & H Catering, Jersey Jack’s Kettle Corn, Empanada Times, Sip ‘N Swirl, Thai Food Addict, All Surf No Turf, The Mozzarella God, Carnival Donut Bar, Coney Island Wood Fired Pizza, and Eat My Balls. Vendor fee for participation per truck is $150.00.

Meloy says the preparation for the festival stars very early in the year, and for good reason. “We start to reach out to the vendors the beginning of January; a lot of these folks work on their event calendar a year in advance.  We’re fortunate in that the vendors at this event do well and want to return. We have yard signs and a street banner to help get the word out. We work closely with the Department of Public Works to get the park ready.”

In addition to the delicious eats, entertainment is scheduled. “We have a DJ (Ace Entertainment) we have at different events,” says Meloy. “We also have the kids in our summer theater camp perform a sneak peek preview of the play; this year they’re doing “Willy Wonka Jr.”

According to Meloy, the yearly festival has been a great success, and she urges the public to spread the word about the popular event. She also encourages attendance. “Just come, eat good food and enjoy a day at the beach!”

For more information about the event and lake membership, contact the Department of Parks & Recreation at Parks & Recreation 973-835-5700, or visit www.peqtwp.org. PV Park is located right off of Route 23 South, and is accessible via Village and Marvin Roads, as well as Alexander Avenue.