The Columbus Food Truck Festival may have already hit downtown, but if you feel like you haven’t seen enough food trucks, you’re in luck. The Columbus Food Truck Festival offers two events throughout the summer, with the Hilliard Edition taking place on Saturday, August 17th at the Franklin County Fairgrounds, 4100 Columbia St.

Upon entering the market, hungry visitors are greeted by a sea of ​​colorful trucks and tantalizing smells – reaching all of the stalls will be a daunting task. Whether you’re a foodie ready to take on the challenge or someone suffering from decision paralysis and fearful of walking around the fairgrounds empty-handed, you’ve come to the right place.

Read on to learn more about some trucks and their offerings, as well as all the information you need to know before you leave.

What are some good food trucks to visit in the Columbus area?

As of press time, the Hilliard Edition of the Columbus Food Truck Festival had a total of 35 vendors signed up to be at the fairgrounds, though new additions often occur at the last minute, said Mike Gallicchio, co-founder and organizer of the Columbus Food Truck Festival. Here are four food trucks that might be worth checking out for their unique offerings and to give you a glimpse of the variety of options at the festival.

Grilled Cheese Gangsters, the “original grilled cheese,” makes you an offer you can’t refuse. The family-owned food truck in central Ohio offers a variety of sandwiches full of gooey, cheesy goodness.

Nightlife: The Lantern Festival at Columbus Zoo lights up the night with an animal show from China

True to its theme, the truck offers menu items named after famous gangsters from pop culture and beyond, from dishes like the “Don Vito” — a breakfast sandwich dripping with golden American cheese, egg and bacon — to the “Kingpin,” which consists of smoked pulled pork and a generous portion of mac and cheese.

In addition to sandwiches, they offer “Gangster Tots” with the typical “Mafia sauce” and a pinch of spring onions; there are also Tater Tots with various toppings such as buffalo chicken and hot sauce or barbecue pulled pork.

Merrybrook Bakery is a mobile bakery that offers sourdough doughnuts with vanilla frosting and soft pretzels made from a recipe from founders Ruth and Roman Kauffman’s Amish family that has been used in spin-off companies by friends, family and acquaintances across the country. Lane Troyer, the owner of the Merrybrook Baking Company food truck, said the festival marks the first time Merrybrook will bring its handmade treats to the Columbus area.

Happy Elephant is a food truck serving Laotian and Thai cuisine, offering dishes full of flavour made from ingredients perfect for a hot summer day, be it a prawn spring roll or a papaya salad with shredded green papaya, diced tomatoes, lime juice and Thai chillies. Other items on the menu include chicken skewers as an on-the-go snack that you can take with you to explore what else the fairgrounds have to offer on the day of the festival.

Zaki Mediterranean Grill may be familiar to those who often stop by the Budd Dairy Food Hall, but on the 17th they’re bringing gyro bowls, chicken shawarma sandwiches, hummus and harissa, and more Middle Eastern flavors on wheels to the festival.

Food Events: Zaki Mediterranean Grill to replace Cousins ​​Maine Lobster at Budd Dairy in June

For a full list of vendors, visit the festival website at columbusfoodtruckfest.com/hilliard.html.

Details about the Columbus Food Truck Festival

Tickets are $5 in advance online or $10 at the door the day of the event, which begins at 11:00 a.m. and ends at 10:00 p.m. Children under 12 are admitted free but must be accompanied by an adult 18 or older.

Tickets are valid for one-time use only and re-entry is not permitted. To purchase tickets online, visit columbusfoodtruckfest.com. Parking is free and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Free on-street parking is also available around the fairgrounds.

The event will take place whatever the weather.

The Columbus Food Truck Festival has also donated proceeds to local nonprofit partners, and this year’s Hilliard edition will support Boxland Media and Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Ohio.

In addition to the food trucks, there will be several arts, crafts and maker booths, as well as musicians performing throughout the day, starting with Jared Mahone at 1:30 p.m., the Andy Shaw Band at 4 p.m., the Jocef Michael Band at 6 p.m., then Friends of the Dead at 8 p.m.

[email protected]

This article originally appeared in The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Food Truck Festival hosts second event in Hilliard