LISBON — Perched on tailgates, relaxing on the lawn, or sitting at foldable tables Tuesday evening, a large crowd gathered to try the diverse array of cuisine from 11 food trucks at the Worumbo Riverfront Event Center.

Some had steaming bowls of ramen, some had heaping portions of barbecue, and some ate fries out of a disposable cup. Small kids sat on the grass sipping frozen drinks almost too big for them to hold, all while a DJ played upbeat hip-hop music.

According to Economic and Community Development Director Ross Cunningham, at least 1,000 people have attended the Tasty Tuesdays Food Truck every other Tuesday since April.

It was the third time Anna and Garry Sutherland of Lewiston came out, and they had yet to come across food they did not like. So far, their favorite has been Pinky D’s Poutine Factory Truck.

Tasty Tuesdays Food Truck is a good opportunity for families who all want something different for dinner, Anna said.

Robert Hayslip, who operates Smokin’ Phil’s Belly Bustin’ BBQ with his partners, has had a lot of business at the Tasty Tuesdays, as much as at other locations, he said.

Though Hayslip is usually stuck in the corner of the truck cooking, he has watched some of his frequent customers grow up since the partners bought the truck in 2021. He said he enjoys the loyal patrons who seek out his business at events.

Megan Belanger and Zach Barry, both of Lisbon, have attended Tasty Tuesdays several times. Just a year ago, the space was hardly ever used, but now it is getting a lot of attention — a positive development in Barry’s eyes, he said.

He enjoys seeing so many people interested in coming to Lisbon, “it puts Lisbon on the map,” Belanger added.

Though he sees many new faces, Barry said he enjoys bumping into people he knows from around town. He knows some downtown business owners who have seen a bump in Tuesday sales.

The business has spilled into surrounding downtown businesses, giving the area a little economic boom on Tuesday, Cunningham said. Many people will buy food from a truck, then walk to a bar downtown and have a drink after because Tasty Tuesdays is chemical-free.

“It has been a huge opportunity for us to not only allow folks to see what Lisbon has to offer but many downtown businesses have seen an uptick because of the event,” he said.

He said Tasty Tuesdays was capped at 10 food trucks, with an 11th selling dessert items. It has been such a big hit that he hopes to return it next summer.

Randy Smith, owner of Pinky D’s Poutine Factory Truck, approached Cunningham earlier this year with the idea, which was born through discussions with other local food truck owners who were tired of always driving out of the area for events, Cunningham said.

Smith started his truck about a decade ago. He owned a fixed location offering poutine dishes in Auburn but left that location last year, going back to just operating his food trucks.

It was too hot Tuesday for Kailyn Blondin of Greene to even consider cooking at home, so her family decided to grab dinner at Tasty Tuesdays, she said. She said it was the first time she had attended, and she enjoyed a ramen dish from the Vy Banh Mi food truck. She said having so many food trucks available so close to home was nice.

“I usually have to hunt down the food trucks, but they’re all right here for you — that’s awesome,” she said.

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