Sample so many delicious dishes at the Fifth Annual Food Truck Festival in Virginia

Go Figur’s Food Experience can’t wait to be part of the Food Truck Festival coming up on Saturday.

“It’s the best day of the year for us,” shared Alex Haugen, who owns Go Figur with his wife. They plan on having some of their fan favorites, like the Green Cheese and the South of the Border Burrito.

“I wanted to do Ranger fusion food, take a lot of traditional Iron Range things and put a twist on them,” Haugen explained.

Haugen, along with Jake Rosandich and Jared Green, are also working on opening up a new restaurant downtown, across from Ace’s Hardware. It will be called 5 & Go, and they hope to be open later this year.

The festival is open to the public from 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM. With over 20 food trucks plus local downtown businesses specials, this event is gearing up to be the largest festival to date.

Haugen, along with Jake Rosandich and Jared Green, are also working on opening up a new restaurant downtown, across from Ace’s Hardware. It will be called 5 & Go, and they hope to be open later this year.

According to Amber Heinle, President of ReVive Virginia, “There’s a lot of hard work that goes into making this festival a growing success and we couldn’t do it without all the ReVive Virginia members. I want to give a special shout-out to Shawn Herhusky and Britt See-Benes for leading this event again. Bring your appetites and help support this festival with our split-the-pot fundraising, which will run hourly starting at 11am. Just look for the booth in the middle of Chestnut Street.”

Teresa Appelwick, President/CEO of the Laurentian Chamber of Commerce, has been involved as a member of the planning committee for the 2023 event.

“The Food Truck Festival is more than a food event; it’s a lively display of community connection and entrepreneurial spirit. More than 20 vendors serving up both creative dishes and comforting favorites make the backdrop for the buzz of families, friends, and neighbors coming together. This is more than a day of indulgence; it’s an asset to our downtown businesses who benefit from the foot traffic, drawing an enthusiastic crowd. Last year’s estimated attendance was between 1200-1500 individuals! Every bite, every smile, every handshake echoes the heartbeat of our community. The Food Truck Festival is a delicious reminder of what makes our Quad Cities so endearing, and we invite everyone to come, taste, and celebrate with us.”

New to this year’s event is an Open Mic musical event organized by Lyric Center for the Arts. After the open mic sessions conclude, the Lyric Center will continue to have live music for the rest of the festival.

There will be face painting also by the Lyric Center for the Arts and a children’s area by Marquette Catholic School.

This event would not have been possible without the support of our sponsors Canelake’s Candy’s, Heliene USA, Northern Communities Credit Union and Discover the Range. Special thanks to Northern Communities Credit Union for sponsoring the open mic and music throughout the event.

The Virginia Food Truck Festival will be taking place on Chestnut Street in Virginia, MN between the 100 and 400 blocks. Free public parking in the municipal lots on 1st Street North and 1st Street South.