A 2nd Food Truck Festival
Houston's controversial food truck festival is getting bigger: Ready for another Haute Wheels?
After completing its most successful outing in March, the Haute Wheels Food Truck Festival is adding a fall version to the already crowded range of options that clamor for attention during the time of year when the weather is really, really nice.
There are two major differences with this fall event. First, the parking situation has been dramatically improved. There won't be shuttles from far away satellite lots. Festival organizers have secured walking-distance parking at both Pin Oak Middle School and Episcopal High School.
Second, there's now a Friday night, adults-only kickoff party. Labeled "Truck or Treat," it kicks off the extended Halloween season with a costume contest and a showing of cult classic The Rocky Horror Picture Show on a 40-foot screen. Tickets are $20; there's also a $30 VIP option that includes a designated seating area, popcorn and separate bar. Sadly, neither option includes toilet paper, water guns or any of the props necessary to watch Rocky Horror properly. C'est la vie.
No, that price doesn't include food, but attendees are paying for the convenience of having so many trucks in one space
As for the rest, it should be pretty familiar after three years — 35 trucks will gather in the parking lot of HCC Southwest's campus on 610 near the Southwest Freeway for a three day festival of live music and food from Oct. 11-13. As before, tickets are $16 per day, which includes $5 of beverage coupons and a $1 donation to the Houston Community College Foundation.
No, that price doesn't include food, but attendees are paying for the convenience of having so many trucks in one space — along with three local bands that will play from 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. While there's always some grousing about the price, both days sold out in March, so plenty of people appreciate the opportunity to sample so many trucks at one time.
The truck roster is a who's who of both established trucks and newcomers. Ever wanted to pair a Bernie's burger with fried risotto balls from H-Town StrEATs? Confused about the difference between MuSubi Houston, Flip 'n Patties and Muiishi Makirritos? Want to taste why Stick It Truck became Third Coast Steak Sandwiches?
They'll all be there.