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32 Food Trucks Compete for $10,000 in Springfield Saturday

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Thirty-two food trucks will roll into Veteran’s Park this Saturday, Aug. 19, for the 9th Springfield Rotary Gourmet Food Truck Competition. The must-taste event of the summer will offer flavorful dishes and mouth-watering desserts, as well as live entertainment, from 11 am to 7 pm.

“We take great pride in orchestrating this competition and knowing it’s a staple summer event not only for the local community, but for foodies from all over Ohio,” said Eddie Bell, president of Springfield Rotary. “We bring a phenomenal group of food trucks together all in one place each year for a great cause, having raised more than $300,000 for charity since the inception of this event.”

The event committee selects a unique variety of trucks from those that apply each year, resulting in a diverse spread of cuisines throughout the park’s path. Different food choices available this weekend include the American staples of BBQ, burgers, pizza, seafood and wings, to foods from around the world, such as African, Asian, Cajun, Greek, Polynesian, Indian and Italian.

Each truck will submit their best signature dish for a shot at the $5,000 grand prize. A $2,500 runner-up and $1,500 third-place winner will also be selected by a panel of local and celebrity judges. Judges for this year’s competition include:

●  Jenn Disanto, Chef/Owner of Fresco by Chef Jenn Disanto (Dayton); and Executive Chef/Partner at SageCraft Catering (Kettering)

●  Lisa Freeman, Chef/Owner of Crust & Company, Salato Deli, Le Torte Dolci and Ironworks Waffle Cafe (Springfield)

●  Doug McGregor, Owner of Seasons Kitchen (Springfield)

●  Armando Soto, Co-owner of Casa del Sabor (Springfield)

●  Elizabeth Wiley, (Retired) Chef/Owner of Meadowlark Restaurant and Wheat Penny Oven and Bar (Dayton); and Partner of SageCraft Catering (Kettering)

All event attendees can also vote via the Springfield Food Truck mobile app for their favorite food truck to receive the $1,000 “People’s Choice” award. All winners will be announced on stage at approximately 4:45pm.

Live entertainment will provide the soundtrack throughout the event on the park’s amphitheater stage with four musical acts beginning at 11 am with Mike Manley and Katie Harford, followed throughout the day by Andy Fox, The Factory Line and Terrapin Moon.

While admission to the event is free, attendees can make donations to help support Springfield Rotary’s causes in-person and via the mobile app. A beer garden open throughout the event will feature craft beer from Springfield’s Mother Stewart’s Brewery, Michelob Ultra, Bud Light and White Claw. Water and a selection of soda will also be available.

“We encourage everybody to come early, bring your lawn chairs and blankets, stick around all day for the entertainment, and enjoy all the gourmet food the competition has to offer,” said Bell.

Springfield Rotary Gourmet
Food Truck Competition

Saturday, Aug. 19th
11 am to 7 pm

Veteran’s Park
250 Cliff Park Rd,
Springfield, OH 45504

 Download the Springfield Food Truck mobile app for Android and Apple devices.

Dayton Battle of the Bands Announced for 2020

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Dayton is well known for our impressive history of pushing musical boundaries, from the invention of Funk to the incalculable influence of early 90s alternative bands Guided by Voices and The Breeders. As a new decade launches, a group of Dayton music enthusiasts are joining forces to launch the next generation of local music. 

Local music promoter Libby Ballengee (of Venus Child Productions) recently partnered with The Brightside, a new mid-size, multi-purpose event venue located in downtown Dayton. “I was so excited when The Brightside opened because there was finally a place downtown that could hold 500 person concerts. It’s the perfect size for grassroots promoters like me.” 

The key assets of The Brightside are its enormous stage and top-notch sound engineers. It’s a quality experience for performers and the audience alike. However, for new bands, it’s a big leap in cost and attendance to get up on that big stage. Ballengee felt bad about having to turn away inquiries, and sought a way to support new bands looking for a break. 

In conversations with fellow promoter and ticketing agent Zac Pitts from Sound Valley Dayton, and The Brightside’s owner Carli Dixon, Ballengee realized that they shared a mutual vision for the future of Dayton’s music community. Given Dayton’s rich musical history and impressive talent pool, how could they support the next generation of Dayton musical innovators?

The idea for a Dayton Battle of the Bands rose to the surface. Many Daytonians remember Canal Street Tavern’s Dayton Band Playoffs, although some like Pitts, were a bit too young to attend himself. While inspired by the idea, the group wants to use the platform of a competition to be more of an incubator for new bands. Bands will receive feedback from music industry experts during the playoff rounds, and the winner will get a full promotional package to take them to the next level.

The winner of Dayton Battle of the Bands will perform on the ballroom stage at The Brightside, among other prizes. PHOTO BY LIBBY BALLENGEE.

On December 6th, 2019, a call for submissions will begin via daytonbattleofthebands.com. Bands or musical acts of any genre, that have been established 5 years or less and within a 35 mile radius of downtown Dayton are eligible to apply. There is no fee to apply or perform. Online registration opens December 6, 2019 and closes on December 22, 2019.

There is one more informational sessions for bands to get more information about the competition on Tuesday,  December 17th. A band representative MUST attend one of these sessions to show proof of residency and to review how competition will work. Bands have a few days after the December meeting to complete their online registration.

Twenty bands will be selected by a review process by local judges, which includes Dr. Samuel N. Dorf, Associate Professor of Music at the University of Dayton, Tiffany Johnson, CEO of GigMerge and former VP of A&R for a Sony affiliate, Don Thrasher, longtime musician and journalist at the Dayton Daily News, among many others. 

Once the 20 participating bands are selected, they will be scheduled to perform a 20 minute set in The Brightside’s listening room, over a 5 week period January 14th, 2020 – February 11th, 2020 on Tuesday evenings. Four bands will play their best originals each week, the winners moving onto the finale will take place on February 25, 2020. Bands proceeding to the finals are picked through an equal mix of audience and judge’s votes. The Final winner will be selected by audience votes only.

This is a wonderful promotional opportunity for all 20 bands that participate! The winner will receive a full promotional kit including their very own EP recording session with Reel Love Recording Studio, a music video by Sound Valley, a professional photo shoot, and a chance to play the BIG stage at The Brightside during the Sound Valley Winter Music Festival on Saturday March 7, 2020.

Exciting details and updates to come! For additional details follow: https://www.daytonbattleofthebands.com

NEXT EVENT:

Musician Open House and Dayton Battle of the Bands Sign Up

at The Brightside – 905 E 3rd St Dayton, OH

Tuesday December 17, 2019 from 6:30-8:30pm.

Free Admission!