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Food Truck Rally

Event benefits Readfield Park expansion

By Scott Bellile


The smells of smoked meats and sweet treats will again fill the summer air when a fleet of food trucks returns to Readfield.

When the Friends of Readfield Park nonprofit held its first Food Truck Rally on June 21, vendors underestimated how many Caledonia residents would come get their snack on. Some sold out of food quickly.

“We were hoping for like 300 people to show up – that would be amazing – and somewhere between 800 and a thousand people showed up,” said Tammy McCartney, Friends of Readfield Park member and Food Truck Rally organizer.

Eight vendors will come back to Readfield Park stocked to serve a large crowd this time on Friday, Aug. 9, from 4-8 p.m.

In addition to dinner, the night will include a bake sale, face painting, kickball, yard games and live music by singer-songwriter Amelia Ford.

McCartney said the Food Truck Rally brings to the rural town an event that is more prevalent in larger cities.

“It’s just a really great way to spend a Friday night with family, music and great food, and it’s super close” compared to the Fox Valley, McCartney said.

Readfield Park fundraiser

The Food Truck Rally is a fundraiser for the ongoing effort to expand offerings at Readfield Park, which residents supported in a recent survey.

Friends of Readfield Park wants to construct a half-mile walking trail around the park and Readfield Elementary School, an obstacle course-style playground with adult fitness stations, and a storage shed for recreation equipment.

The initiative is a collaboration among the friends group, the town board and the School District of New London.

“We are hoping through the trail to not only promote activity but also to have the opportunity for beautification of that area,” Friends of Readfield Park member Lorie Stoltz said. “We hope through the trail too to have just the opportunity to promote more events. We hope to have exercise nights down there, maybe a twice-a-month yoga class out in the field.”

Stoltz said she and her husband moved from Appleton to Caledonia a decade ago. While they love the country setting, they wish they were more opportunities for recreation and socializing.

The Food Truck Rally and the eventual park improvements are therefore efforts to build community, she said.

McCartney said the next Food Truck Rally will include several improvements over last time, including a better parking configuration, an ATM – vendors struggled to process credit cards due to weak Wi-Fi signals in Caledonia – and less pricey beer.

Although the event is meant to benefit the park, some attendees nonetheless scoffed at the idea of paying $4 for a beer in Caledonia. It will instead be $3.

“That was a big deal. … That was important to the community, so we listened,” McCartney said with a laugh.

June’s Food Truck Rally netted $2,500 for Friends of Readfield Park, she said. She hopes the next event exceeds that.

The estimated $80,000 park project will be entirely funded by donations and possibly matching grants from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources if the organization is successful in its grant applications.

The friends group has raised around $20,000 in donations.

Participating food vendors

• Pura Vida Street Kitchen: Tacos and quesadillas.

• Aftershock Smokers: Barbecue including chicken and pulled pork.

• Kona Ice: Hawaiian-style shaved ice.

• Cardiac Dippers: Deep-fried food including pizza and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

• Baker Joe’s: Mini doughnuts and kettle corn.

• Ong’s Egg Rolls: Egg rolls.

• Inferno Subs: Gourmet toasted sub sandwiches.

• Street Grub: Sandwiches, burgers, tacos, cheese curds and bacon bites.

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