NEWINGTON, Connecticut  — The largest, food festival on the East Coast, the New England Food Truck Festival, is moving to a new date and introducing new additions. The event will be held June 30-July 1 at Eastern States Exposition Fairgrounds at 875 Memorial Ave. in Springfield, Mass. The festival will be open for general admission from noon to 9 p.m. on June 30 and from noon to 6 p.m. on July 1, with both days offering early access from 11 a.m. to noon.

The event is being staged one month earlier than last year to allow festival goers to have more favorable weather conditions. “This new date increases our chances for better weather because in the past it is typically very hot in late July, early August, when we usually have it,” said event owner and coordinator Mike Lukas. “It is an event not to be missed because there will be some of the greatest chefs and creators there in one central location.”

For an entire weekend, festival-goers will be able to visit more than 50 different food truck vendors—all in one place—to sample a wide variety of fare. This year, the VIP ticket option is now extended to being offered on both Saturday and Sunday, instead of just on Saturday. There will be a special VIP Hour on both days, starting at 11:00 a.m. and ending at noon. This special hour will offer exclusive food samples that are only available during the early-access time frame. General admission and VIP tickets are currently on sale at Eventbrite.com and on the New England Food Truck Festival website.

With the exception of the early-access pass, each pass covers admission to the festival only and does not go toward food purchases from the vendors or parking. Parking information is available on the festival’s website and Facebook page. Food options will vary from grilled cheese to cupcakes to tacos and more, ensuring that there is something for everyone.

To add to the attendees’ experience, there will be a new children’s area that will offer families more things to do while attending the event. This section will feature face painting, several inflatables and many other fun activities created with children in mind. Children under the age of 6 can receive free admission. The festival will also branch out this year by having a designated Craft Village section. This area will allow local businesses to sell their products directly to festival goers to further enhance their experience. Craft vendor applications are available online.

In addition, the festival will also showcase live music from various local bands and musicians throughout the weekend. Field games for adults and children and other various forms of entertainment will also be available at the event. Festival attendees will find the Big E Fairgrounds in a central location that is easy to get to from every state in New England.

The festival is coordinated by family-owned Lukaz LLC, which does business as the New England Food Truck Festival. The company prides itself on providing the ultimate food truck festival experience. One of its goals is to stage bigger and better events each year all while keeping the cost of admission and parking at reasonable prices. “We have been in the event coordination industry for the last seven years, and we love it,” Lukas said. “We live for bringing awesome events to our local community.”

The New England Food Truck Festival is expected to draw attendees from across the state and region and feature an array of premier food trucks. For more information about this event including ticket info, visit www.nefoodtruckfest.com

(press release sent to WSBS from New England Food Truck Festival for online and on-air use, photo sent to WSBS for online publishing)

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