Photo courtesy of The Record Journal
Food truck vendors and Wallingford event planners joined forces on Saturday, April 23 and Sunday, April 24 to hold a fundraiser for the Wallingford Dog Park. Petrillo’s Events Consulting Services, run by Paul Petrillo, coordinated with the dog park to make the event possible for partygoers. This event brought more than 15 food trucks, including Birria Mia and Tater Tot Heaven Food Truck, to the Meriden Mall parking lot, enticing guests from all corners of Wallingford with the promise of a weekend of fun. Outside of the food trucks were a multitude of activities and contests arranged for the event, such as live music and a contest for dog owners to compete for the title of “best kisser” for their furry friends. Many vendors and crafters also came to sell their goods and contribute to the fundraiser. Wallingford attendees were able to buy memorable gifts for their friends and family with no admission fee and help out by making on-site donations. The event aimed to implement new changes through participant donations, including improved maintenance, water fountains for dogs, shade structures for hot days, and a water line, to improve the environment of the Wallingford Dog Park.
Although the issue of a last-minute location switch from Wallingford to Meriden arose, students were, thankfully, still able to attend. Athena Liu ’23, a fifth-former living in the Kohler Environmental Center (KEC), was a participant in the fair. When asked about their experience as an attendee, they said, “I would definitely go again. I feel lucky that we were still able to make it there after they moved it from Wallingford.” The event was a fun and memorable experience for Liu and also served as a fun escape for students who remained on campus for long weekend.
For the vendors, the fair was both a great opportunity for business and exposure. Given the ever-changing locations of food trucks, it is often difficult to accumulate a steady customer base and this fair was a great opportunity for food trucks to book more events. Mr. Roger Solis-Hernandez, owner of the Birria Mia food truck, commented on his experience, saying, “[It was] definitely overwhelming…orders kept coming in and when I looked out the window, the line was just getting longer and longer.”
Overall, he and his team were pleased with the event. “Definitely this year, we will be attending a lot more [food truck] festivals.” Particularly with the proceeds going towards the Wallingford Dog Park, many dog-loving vendors came eagerly to support the cause. Mr. Solis-Hernandez hopes “that similar events will benefit other cities in Connecticut as well.”
The event ended up being a huge success. According to Mr. Petrillo, “The overall attendance was five times better than we expected. The lines were huge for both days from open to close! The mall said it was the most filled they had seen their parking lot in a number of years.”
