The Mount Laurel Food Truck Festival occurred on Sunday, September 29, from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. and the festival was a success, despite the weather being cloudy and rainy. The festival consisted of many yummy food trucks like the Cousins Maine Lobster and Spice It Up Jamaican Grill, fun activities, and multiple informative community organizations. There was face painting, bouncy houses, giveaways and raffles, a petting zoo with pony rides, the FM Band performing live music, a car show that included 15 shiny cool-looking cars, and much more.

The festival was organized by Samantha Higareda with the help of her coworker Nydia. The Mount Laurel Food Truck Festival started out as a fall festival in a different location with a different name. A few years ago they chose to change the location to where it is today and renamed it, The Mount Laurel Food Truck Festival.

My mom and I went to the festival, excited to explore as many venues as possible. The first place we checked out and ordered from was The Spirit of San Juan, the only food truck that serves authentic Puerto Rican cuisine. I ordered a beef pastelillo and an order of tostones that included my mom’s favorite mayo ketchup sauce. It was really good. The beef inside the pastelillo was juicy and so flavorful, and the outside was fried perfectly. The tostones were crispy but not too crispy with a soft center.

“I’m most proud of our growth. We cook with heart and hope that the flavors shine through,” said Debbie Gonzalez, the owner of The Spirit of San Juan.

The Spirit of San Juan also serves a variety of other Puerto Rican foods including Empanadas, Spanish Rice and Beans, Roasted Pork, and Guava BBQ Pinchos (Chicken skewers). Spanish drinks and sodas include Kola Champagne, Pina (Pineapple), Coco Rico (Coconut), and Malta (Malted soda).

“When visiting a food truck festival, people should try something outside the box, whether it be our authentic Puerto Rican cuisine or any other specialty food truck, because thought, time and a lot of work goes into creating the menu, the food, and the ambience to create an experience for those trying the food for the first time or those returning for that favorite thing,” said Gonzalez.

Next, we checked out Rio Acai, a mobile vendor that serves only Acai Bowls. Acai is a fruit native to South America, but is mostly popular amongst Brazilian culture. I ordered the Nutella Signature Bowl that included Nutella, banana, and granola. It was really good; my mom and I absolutely loved it. Not only is Rio Acai the only mobile vendor that serves exclusively Acai Bowls, but it is the only mobile vendor in the festival that is operated by 2 owners with no employees. Their names are Damara Palmeira and Johanna Soriano. They are best friends and both enjoy working together and bouncing back ideas regarding business and community engagements to serve their famous Acai Bowls. You can have an Acai Bowl as a dessert or a nutritious snack.

“Everyone can expect to be treated with respect and excitement to try our acai bowls. We go over the options for toppings and try to engage in conversation with each individual,” said Palmeira and Soriano.

Rio Acai’s most famous bowls are The Traditional Bowl which is acai topped with granola, bananas, and strawberries. It is their healthiest option. The CocoBerry Bowl is their most famous summer bowl which is acai topped with coconut flakes, strawberries and condensed milk. Their bestseller is the Nutella Bowl (the one I ordered) which is acai topped with granola, bananas and Nutella.

“We are proud to see our business grow. Especially, when people let us know that they love our bowls the ‘Rio’ way,” said Palmeira and Soriano.

Lastly, we checked out the Happy Trails Petting Zoo and Pony Rides. I did not pet any of the animals in the petting zoo, or go on the pony rides due to the large crowd. The petting zoo had donkeys, the owner’s sheep Brownie, as well as a fluffy goat and a bunny. Many kids went on the fluffy pony rides without being scared. The animals in the petting zoo are from New Egypt, NJ.

“Happy Trails is invited to all sorts of festivals, church events, schools, day camps, nursing homes, private birthday parties and other types of celebrations throughout the year. We would absolutely love to come to any more events that we are invited to,” said Michelle Casisa, the owner of Happy Trails.

Happy Trails began in 1983. It started out with Casisa’s parents’ pony and it grew rapidly into a whole farm-full with many drivers to help out. The farm became so popular that eventually it did not need advertising. The farm was very busy during the festival with many kids and parents in the petting zoo and on the ponies. Happy Trails continuously hopes to attract animal lovers, so if you are an animal lover and you see a Happy Trails petting zoo, check it out and you will not regret it.

“I would say we are very different and unique because it’s not every day you get to see, touch and even hug a donkey, sheep or goat! And to feel the bunny’s fur is so soft and then the kids love to compare the feel of the fur of every animal. They are all so different; they are surprised,” said Casisa.

In conclusion, my mom and I thought the Mount Laurel Food Truck Festival was really fun to experience. The owners we interviewed thought the festival was fun and a big hit, despite the weather. If one Sunday afternoon you want to do something fun and you are looking for somewhere that has a diverse mix of activities, food trucks, vendors, and entertainment, this festival is the place. If you did not go to this year’s festival, stay tuned for the one that will happen next year in 2025!