Hospitality House to Host Free Food Truck Event for Community Thursday

Hospitality House workers and volunteers show off vegetables grown in their garden. Photo courtesy of Hospitality House

By Zack Hill

On Thursday, August 31st, the Hospitality House of Boone is hosting the third installment of their four-part “Savor the Summer” food truck rodeo series. The event is completely free and includes four food trucks along with a free farmers’ market with produce grown in Hospitality House’s own on-site organic garden, food prepared in their kitchen, and games and activities for kids and adults.

The event will take place in the upper parking lot of the Hospitality House at 338 Brook Hollow Road from 5:30 until 7:30 p.m.

“I couldn’t be more thrilled about our “Savor the Summer” community events,” Hospitality House Local Food Coordinator Aaren Grant said in a press release. “It brings me immense joy to lead this initiative, uniting our community for four incredible evenings filled with delicious food, friendly company and the alluring essence of summer. I firmly believe in the power of community and through this initiative we aim to create moments of connections, understanding and unwavering support for each other.”

Hospitality House Chief Development Director Todd Carter said that a generous gift from an anonymous donor through Harvest Food Bank has funded the series and allowed the Hospitality House to pay local food truck vendors for their food.

“For me the really cool thing is that we’re able to support these small businesses and pay full price,” Carter said. “We’re not asking for a discount or handout. And these are small businesses I love.”

“Being able to do that and put some money in the economy for small businesses and then having not just clients and residents of the Hospitality House but everyone able to order whatever they want is amazing. Everything is free because of this anonymous grant through Second Harvest.”

Carter was also excited about the foods Hospitality House is preparing in their own kitchen with vegetables grown in their garden.

“We have different types of salad we’ve prepared in our kitchen,” Carter said. “We have just around three-quarters of organic garden land and that’ll all be from us. Plus we have a free farmers’ market with the same organic food we’ve grown here.”

Thursday’s gathering will include food trucks from Carolina Food Monger, Little Wing Ice Cream, Valencia Flavors and Frosties Ice Cream Express.