Author: Kate McGinley
No one has ever called me a foodie. I do not have a discriminating palette and I cannot rattle off the ingredients of a dish after one taste. As far as I am concerned, I like to eat. I eat to live, to enjoy myself and sometimes I eat to better myself. Due to my unsophisticated palette, I have always been a big fan of food trucks because they always meant carnival or beach food. Fried Oreos and Twinkies, funnel cakes, ice cream and cotton candy are just a few foods that I enjoy. Not everyone shares my love of these greasy delicacies so it has always been hard to convince people to go to food trucks rather than a sit-down restaurant until now. Baltimore has taken my love of food trucks and elevated it to a higher level, bringing together restaurant quality food trucks and local Baltimore color.
Baltimore’s traveling festival, The Gathering, is a moving food truck festival that changes locations each week. Food trucks can be found all over downtown Baltimore at any time of the day or at Baltimore’s various festivals such as Hampden Fest and the Fells Point Olde Tyme Christmas Festival. The Gathering takes this to an entirely different level. Every week, it goes to a different location where there is live local music and for those of you over 21, there are specialty alcoholic drinks. The money raised at the event goes to support a local charity.
Over 30 trucks are in rotation at the festival and run the gambit of food styles including grilled cheese, dessert, American bistro, Brazilian street food, burgers and seafood just to name a few. A Loyola favorite, Miss Shirley’s, is a popular vendor at the event along with Flavor Cupcakery, The Jolly Pig, known for its Korean BBQ and pork sliders and Gypsy Queen, which has excellent burgers and tacos. The number and type of food trucks vary from week to week allowing you to have a different food experience every time you go. The beauty of food trucks comes from the variety of each truck. You will no longer need to have the conversation of where to go to please everyone in your group or how to split the check at a restaurant. Everyone gets to eat what he or she wants and pays separately making everyone’s lives easier.
Every week there are different local artists entertaining the masses as they chow down on top-notch meals. Recent artists have included Greasy Hands, Let The Monkey Go, Bosley and 9 Mile Roots. The list will certainly be growing in the upcoming weeks. If there is not live music, there will be a DJ spinning family friendly music. For the over 21 crowd, for $22 at the door or $15 in advance, you can enjoy an open bar including beer, wine and mixed drinks. Drinks can also be bought at $3 to $7 per drink. A portion of the net proceeds from the alcohol sales go directly to the nonprofit. People are encouraged to walk, bike or carpool to the event and every location is located on a Charm City Circulator route to encourage less pollution.
Thegatheringbaltimore.com says, “The Gatherings are committed to promoting sustainable community life. Highlighting local artists, performers and vendors and live entertainment in our underutilized spaces, we hope to positively impact our neighborhoods. Please join us in promoting Baltimore as a safe and viable place to live, work and play.”
Every week the location rotates along with the food chocies and music. The September schedule can be found in the box to the left of this article so you can plan your month around these festivals. Most events are on Friday nights running from 5 to10 p.m. allowing you plenty of time to go have dinner and then make other plans for the rest of your evening after the festival ends. Whether you are a freshman or a senior, there is more to your college experience than Loyola’s campus. Step out and experience “The Greatest City in America”(at least according to the benches) for its quirky and whimsical side. What better way to start the semester than with a cornucopia of food, music, friends and charity. Whether you are a foodie or not, there is something for everyone at The Gathering.
