June’s First Friday festival to feature 1st Food Truck Slider Showdown, dunking booth

Published 11:44 am Friday, May 27, 2022

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FROM STAFF REPORTS

CALERA – Calera Main Street’s First Friday festival series is set for Friday, June 3 in Downtown Calera. The event will feature live music from Charles Lucas, many local vendors, a kid’s zone and the first annual Food Truck Slider Showdown.

The event will be held from 5-8 p.m. in the Calera Courtyard, 1120 17th Avenue, behind the shops in the historic downtown district.

“We are looking forward to June and the official start of summer,” Jackie Batson, executive director of Calera Main Street said. “Our theme for this month is ‘A Backyard Bash’ brought to us by our presenting sponsor Lisa Guarino, ‘Your hometown Realtor’ from ERA King Real Estate.”

This month features a new event called “The Food Truck Slider Showdown” where five food trucks will be competing for who has the best burger. There will be a panel of judges for a blind tasting of the dishes to declare a winner.

Additionally, the first 50 attendees to purchase a $5 ticket will be able to taste a sample from all five food truck contestants and cast their vote for the People’s Choice award.

The food trucks competing at June’s First Friday are D’s Soulfood, Gumbo to Geaux, Lil Lupo’s, The Boss Bogg & More and The Smith Station. Although not in the competition, Summer Snow will also be selling their snow cones at the event.

The festival will also feature a dunking booth. For a $5 donation to Calera Main Street anyone can take a shot at dunking one of our local personalities. The lineup for those in the booth is still being secured, but there will be representatives from the downtown merchants and Calera’s City Council.

Tickets for these additional activities will be sold at the Calera Main Street tent to raise funds for the non-profit revitalization program.

Ticket Options include:

Taste and Vote for People’s Choice

  • $5 to taste a sample from all five food trucks and cast your vote for People’s Choice in the Slider Showdown. (Samples are limited. Only 50 of these tickets will be sold.)
  • $10 allows you to sample and vote in the showdown, plus get three balls for the dunking booth and be entered to win a drawing for a Calera Main Street gift basket at the end of the night.

Dunking Booth Only

  • $5 for 3 balls
  • $10 for 8 balls

There are only three more First Friday festivals this year, two of which are set for July 1 and August 5. July will feature the second annual Calera Fireworks Extravaganza. August will feature a Kids Talent Show and the second annual Backpack Giveaway for back to school.

If you’re interested in being part of any future First Friday event, email events@downtowncalera.org for more information.