Popular Food Truck Festival likely moving out of Burlington

The Burlington Food Truck Festival is packing up and hitting the road, as city council members voted to remove the event from Spencer Smith Park, a decision that executive director Ben Freeman says requires the festival to find a new host city. 

On Tuesday morning, members of city council voted 4-1 to have the festival moved from the downtown park. Ward 3 councillor Rory Nisan was the only councillor in favour of keeping the festival at Spencer Smith. Ward 1 councillor Kelvin Galbraith and Ward 5 councillor Paul Sharman did not attend the meeting. 

“For the last seven years, we have always been an excellent partner and abided by all city and regional rules and regulations,” Freeman told city council. “We provide a free, family-friendly event with an array of culinary dishes from around the world, and showcase emerging Ontario-based musical talent on our main stage.”

Freeman was given five minutes to speak prior to council voting on the future of the festival. 

The event also draws nearly 40,000 attendees annually and produces approximately $11 million in visitor spending, Freeman said. 

Freeman and the Canadian Food Truck Festivals team looked for other locations in Burlington to host the festival, and considered moving the trucks to Burloak Park. That plan was shelved, however, when organizers heard about a two-year construction project at Burloak that will see the installation of a splash pad near the gazebo, precisely where they would set up shop. 

“We’re looking for parks that feature green space, are visible from the roadway, are large enough to fit our mainstage, 30 food trucks, and seating for 500 people,” Freeman said. “The festival must have a reasonable prospect of attracting 20,000 attendees, and the venue must have previously held other festivals based on the above criteria.”

The installation of the splash pad poses a risk to public safety, Freeman added. As Burloak is effectively off the table, organizers say they have no choice but to pull the event from Burlington and move to a neighbouring municipality, though they did not mention where specifically.

Nisan and Ward 4 councillor Shawna Stolte disagreed about whose decision it ultimately was for the event moving. 

Stolte says it is the event organizer's choice, while Nisan says it is up to city council. 

“I believe that Burlington is deciding to have a food truck festival,” Stolte said. “We want a food truck festival; I believe it will happen in some shape or form. If this particular provider chooses that his business model doesn’t work for our needs, it’s disappointing, but understandable.”

Nisan said that losing the food truck festival to Oakville, Milton or Hamilton would be a shame, and that though there have been complaints about the festival, they only started during COVID. 

Nearby restaurant and business owners have complained that the event takes business from them during the weekend. Restaurants that operate near Spencer Smith are members of the local BIA, and the Burlington Restaurant Association, noted Ward 6 councillor Angelo Bentivegna. 

“They’re the ones that create employment each and every day, they pay their fair share and contribute to the tax base,” he said. “We need to support our community every day, and I will do that always.”

Following the decision, Ben Freeman could not be reached for comment.