Food Truck Rally to Deliver Fresh Flavor, Fun

Tired of having to drive out of town to enjoy all the flavors a food truck rally delivers? This coming Sunday, you can hit nearby Lutz and sample a variety of flavors.

The Gathering Place Wood Fired Oven, 16319 N. Florida Ave., is playing host to its first-ever food truck rally Oct. 14 from 5 to 8 p.m. The indoor/outdoor event will feature live music, craft vendors, games, chance drawings and, of course, food—lots of it.

Christopher Fuller, the restaurant’s managing partner, said visitors can expect to see between three and five food trucks on site. The restaurant, which opened in late March, will also offer food and drink specials inside.

“It’s going to be a great time,” he said.

Fuller said the idea for the rally came from his association with Odessa’s Green After Dark founder John Ciani. That event has become such a hit, Fuller thought it was time to try something similar in Lutz.

“We work really closely with him and get a lot of our produce from him,” Fuller explained. It was thanks to that connection, Fuller was able to line up the trucks.

The event is designed not only to tempt the taste buds, but also to serve as a fundraiser for local charities, Fuller said. Proceeds from craft booth rentals, for example, will likely go to the Suzanne Ciani Brain Cancer Foundation. That organization provides assistance to Tampa Bay area residents who are battling brain cancer.

Fuller is still taking applications for craft vendors interested in the event. For more information, email him at cfuller84@gmail.com.

If the rally goes over well, Fuller said he’d like to make it a monthly event.