Marcus Rogala, Redevelopment Commission President, wasn’t feeling blue on Saturday night. The sounds of blues band, Soulshyne could be heard coming from the Burns Harbor Food Truck Square, and Marcus was all smiles.
“I couldn’t be happier with the turnout.” said Rogala, “watching everyone out here dancing, enjoying themselves, kids playing. It’s just what we envisioned.”
Rogala and a few other key members of the Burns Harbor Redevelopment Commission started the Food Truck Square in August of this year. They have had several successful events, but this one was their favorite, with over 500 people visiting throughout the night. Along with the band Soulshyne, they also had food trucks (Mama’s Kitchen and Bamboo Grill) and a full bar provided by Leroy’s Hot Stuff.
“I couldn’t believe the selection from Leroy’s truck” said Mike Wierzbicki, Ogden Dunes resident, “craft beer, wine and a nice array of cocktails. I think I found a couple new favorite beers on Saturday!” “And...” said Wierzbicki, “the skewers from Bamboo Grill were delicious!”
The event wasn’t just for adults, kids could be seen dancing and running around and many people brought their dogs along for the night.
“My four year old and I especially liked the bounce house”, said Melissa Hicks, “Having something fun there for the kids made it more family oriented.”
“The band created a great atmosphere for us to sit and enjoy.” said Sarah Dinkins, Burns Harbor resident, “I invited family who really follow the local blues bands, but I think I was the most pleasantly surprised!”
Rogala and the committee look forward to planning events like this for next year. “There was a bit of a learning curve with the food trucks” he said, “but we hope to have everything ironed out for next season!”
The Food Truck Square is closed for the season, but the Burns Harbor Parks Dept. still has a couple things coming up, including the Pumpkin Fest and 5k Dash. This will take place on Saturday, October 22 at 4:30 pm at Lakeland Park. Along with the race there will also be games, food, music, a campfire and more!