Food Truck Fridays returns to Balboa Park in San Diego. Photo:
Balboa Park Conservancy

SAN DIEGO–The Balboa Park Conservancy’s highly anticipated Food Truck Fridays program returns for 18 straight weeks of great food, free live entertainment, and family-friendly fun.

More than a dozen carefully curated gourmet food trucks will be parked along the El Prado walkway every Friday, May 31 through September 27, from 4:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Now in its fourth year, Food Truck Fridays is a program of the Balboa Park Conservancy in partnership with the City of San Diego Department of Parks and Recreation. This year’s series is sponsored in part by California Coast Credit Union, which will be onsite throughout the summer with a variety of activities, special guests, ticket giveaways, and a pet adoption night in collaboration with the San Diego Humane Society.

On select Fridays throughout the summer, Balboa Park will showcase talented local performers and vibrant music, starting with the San Diego Youth Symphony Orchestra performing on the Botanical Building lawn beginning at 7 p.m. on May 31. Other upcoming performers include the Naruwan Taiko Drummers (June 7), Finnegan Blue (June 14), Danny Green Trio (June 21), Bayou Brothers (July 5 and August 23), and Latin Classics (August 16), with more to be announced in the coming weeks.

Food Truck Fridays gives thousands of park visitors and families a unique opportunity to sample a diverse, rotating selection of gourmet food trucks, serving everything from appetizers and main courses to desserts and specialty beverages, all in one convenient location. Six new trucks, including El Hueco (Peruvian), LouZiana Food (Cajon/Creole), Street Chef California (Mediterranean), Goodness Cookie Co., and Gelati & Peccati, are being added to the rotation this year to expand the selection of cuisines.

In addition to exceptional food options, Food Truck Fridays presents a full slate of family-friendly fun: Different musical acts perform each night in the Plaza de Panama. The Plaza’s “living room” setup is rolled out, along with giant family game sets. Various Balboa Park cultural institutions and community partners offer hands-on activity and crafts booths for kids.

Participating park museums will host special evening hours and programs on Fridays.

Festivities at the May 31 Food Truck Fridays gets underway at 5 p.m. with Mariachi Victoria de San Diego, a program of the City Heights Music School. Under the direction of Mario Eguia, the 25-member band, whose members range in age from 11 to 81, will perform “La Charreada,” “El Son de Los Aguacates,” and “Suavecito Suavecito,” to name a few. The always-dynamic Flavor Dance Company Entertainment follows, from 6 to 7 p.m., with a colorful and interactive “Dance Party Though the Decades” performance. At 7 p.m., the San Diego Youth Symphony Chamber Orchestra and Chamber Strings Ensemble, composed of talented musicians from the SDYS advanced Symphony Orchestra, will perform the music of Dmitry Kabalevsky and other classical composers during a 45-minute free concert on the Botanical Building lawn.

For more information and updates, visit http://www.balboaparkconservancy.org/food-truck/