BY ANN SIOCK
St. Cyril’s Church in Olyphant will host its second Food Truck Festival of the year this weekend.
Set for Saturday, Sept. 19, and Sunday, Sept. 20, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., the festival will take place in the church’s parking lot at 207 River St. Food stands and trucks from Russens Sports Bar in Olyphant, Roseanna’s Pizza in Olyphant, 2Wayz On Passion, RandR Potato Pancakes and Lou’s Concessions will be on hand both days, while guests will find fare from Chilly Willy’s, Murt’s Desserts, and Texas BBQ on Sunday only.
The church held its first food truck festival in July after concerns over COVID-19 forced it to cancel its annual rummage sale. Organizers decided to take the opportunity to raise money for St. Cyril’s while also helping local food trucks suffering from the pandemic’s economic impact.
“Most of their engagements had been canceled because of the coronavirus,” said MaryAnn Spryn, a festival organizer. “We thought that the festival would offer them a chance to make some revenue while benefiting the church through a donation for participating in the festival.”
Spryn said the first festival succeeded even though it went on in 90-degree temperatures. She attributed the popularity to the community’s desire to socialize in some way after months of quarantine and social distancing.
“It was just nice to see people out and about and enjoying a good time,” Spryn said. “I think it was that by the time we were having it in July, people were in the midst of the pandemic, just needing to have something safe to do to go out and enjoy some camaraderie.”
Throughout the weekend, children can visit the Kids’ Korner booth to buy toys, and they can pick up free balloon creations made by volunteers. All visitors will be able to buy masks and homemade crafts made by 12-year-old Krista Saar at Krista’s Creations, who will donate the money she raises to a family in need. And everyone can participate in a raffle or pick up mums from an ongoing sale. Customers can choose among red, yellow, orange and purple mums; the flowers cost $8 for a 9-inch pot and $20 for a 12-inch pot. To order mums, call 570-357-6171 or 570-209-2026.
Festival-goers must wear face masks and practice social distancing in accordance with guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The church will set up hand-sanitizing stations throughout the festival grounds, and all employees and volunteers will wear masks, too.
Contact the writer: asiock@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9127
