Food truck vendors brave record heat at Minnesota’s food truck festival

HOPKINS, Minn. — As temperatures soared into the mid-90s on Saturday, the city of Hopkins, Minnesota, was not letting the heat slow them down. Main Street buzzed with activity as the annual Minnesota Food Truck Festival rolled into town, drawing food lovers and families eager to sample everything from barbecue to ice cream, despite the sweltering conditions.

For festival-goers, the heat was a challenge, but for the food truck vendors, it was a true test of endurance. 

“It sometimes gets up to 130 degrees in the truck,” said Steve, a 73-year-old fry cook working with ‘Smokin’ On Site,’ one of 50 food trucks at the event. The crew’s only sources of remedy against the heat are a fan at the front of the truck and boatloads of water. 

“We make sure everybody’s taking breaks and switching around to get outside where it’s a little cooler,” explained owner Scott Jenkins, who built his food truck back in 2016. 

Jenkins said typically they would have 8-9 people working so they can rotate, but today only 5 people on his staff were willing to work.

“I told my daughter, Come on, let’s go now if we’re gonna go, and then we’ll go to the pool later,” festival goer Pamela Coleman said, clutching a water bottle and a towel to stay cool.

If you missed the Hopkins event—or if the heat kept you away—there’s good news: the Minnesota Food Truck Festival will return on August 2 in Minneapolis and August 16 in Anoka, offering more chances to enjoy the state’s best street eats, hopefully under cooler skies.