KINGSPORT — Five local food trucks will face off in the 6th Annual Tasty Buds Throwdown this weekend.
Hosted at High Voltage in downtown °®¶¹´«Ã½, Saturday°®¶¹´«Ã½ event spotlights local eateries with a hint of a challenge. Participating food trucks bring menu items, along with one food featuring this year°®¶¹´«Ã½ secret ingredient of apples.
Judges and attendees alike cast votes for the “best food truck†as part of the competition.
Lindsay Lane, owner of High Voltage, said the event started out small but has grown to their biggest event of the year.
“I would say that this event brings food trucks that wouldn’t be in the same area at the same time together,†Lane said. “I feel like it°®¶¹´«Ã½ the best of the best in the area, and we’ve got five amazing trucks that are going to be here on Saturday.â€
Lane said competitions such as these bring out community members from across the region. This year°®¶¹´«Ã½ participating trucks include Mae Malee°®¶¹´«Ã½ Spring Rolls, Spanqui°®¶¹´«Ã½, Opie°®¶¹´«Ã½ Pizza Wagon, Baked & Loaded and Brunch Box.
“There°®¶¹´«Ã½ some trucks that, maybe they stay in Bristol and so the Bristol crowd gets to eat from them a lot, or Johnson City or °®¶¹´«Ã½,†Lane said. “Then this brings people from the Tri-Cities area down to °®¶¹´«Ã½, and they get to try all the trucks at one time.â€
About the throwdown
The logo for this year's Tasty Buds Throwdown.Â
Contributed
The competition portion kicks off at 3 p.m., where the public is invited to taste some of the menu items, including the apple dish. Attendees interested in participating can purchase a passport to receive samples from all the food trucks. Through the passport, attendees can also vote for their favorite truck and be eligible for prizes.
As for the secret ingredient, Lane said social media followers suggested apples. She said apples are a fitting choice for the fall season, as well.
“I think it’ll be really cool just because all the trucks are different styles, different approaches to the way that they look at different ingredients,†Lane said. “So I think it’ll be really cool to see what they do.â€
The food trucks will stay open following the tasting period from 3-6 p.m., opening up for dinnertime. Trucks will stay open through 8 p.m. or until food sells out.
Flatline, a local music group, will provide live entertainment starting at 6 p.m. Awards and prize drawings will happen at the end of the night.
Lane said it°®¶¹´«Ã½ a family-friendly event bringing good times and a chance to enjoy delicious food to °®¶¹´«Ã½.
“People bring their kids, their dogs, we’ll have cornhole out,†Lane said. “It°®¶¹´«Ã½ the biggest event of the year, and it just brings the community together.
High Voltage is located at 101 Cherokee St. at Suite 30. For more information about the event, visit .
