BY TINA L. SCOTT
EDITOR
The City of Merrill is set to host its first-ever Food Truck-a-Palooza at the Merrill Festival Grounds this Saturday, May 18, 2024, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Held at what was formerly known as the Lincoln County Fairgrounds, Merrill Mayor Steve Hass came up with the idea as a way to promote utilizing the Merrill Festival Grounds more “and knowing that Merrill needed something to bring the community together,” said Hallie Savall, Social Media Specialist for the City of Merrill.
“The Food Truck-a-Palooza is a new event to Merrill,” said Merrill Mayor Steve Hass. “It will have food trucks, music, a craft and vendor show, cornhole tournament, adult beverages, and a bounce house for kids.”
“Having multiple things to do at the Food Truck-a-Palooza will bring more enjoyment to the community,” Savall said. “We are excited to see this event happen in the city of Merrill.”
“This event is both a city celebration and tourist attraction,” Hass said. “We want people to see Merrill as a place where people can come together and have a great time. Bringing in people from other communities is a great way to showcase some of what Merrill has to offer. We are centrally located to several other communities and to have this event here just makes sense.”
“We are looking forward to having families out and about kicking off summer with a bang and enjoying a great community event,” Savall said.
Hass said his goal is for Food Truck-a-Palooza to become an annual event that continues to grow each year. “We are looking foward wo the future and bringing more to the event as well,” he said.
“Attendees can expect to experience more to life with the community as a whole,” Hass said. “The City of Merrill is excited to bring this event to the area. We have been looking for something that our community and the surrounding communities can come together and enjoy. What better way than food, drinks, music, crafts, cornhole, and fun!”
Nearly 20 food trucks offering a huge variety of options – from pizza, tacos, gourmet hot dogs, and smoked foods to cheese curds, thai food, gyros, wraps, sandwiches, and mini donuts will be at the event. “The food trucks are coming from as far away as Sheboygan with several from the Merrill, Tomahawk, Rhinelander, and Wausau areas,” Savall said.
More than 60 craft and vendor displays will offer everything – from clothing, books, and tumblers to crocheted items, signs, soaps, woodworking, and much more – coming from Merrill, Tomahawk, Minoqua, Wausau, Rhinelander, Antigo, and other areas to share their wares.
WDEZ and WJMT will broadcast live from the event from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Brad Emmanuel will provide live music from 3:30 to 7 p.m.
The event includes a cornhole tournament that will cap out at 40 teams. Those interested in participating can pre-register by emailing, [email protected]; walk-ins will be welcome IF spots are available. Sign-up and registration begins at 11:30 a.m. and the tournament begins at noon and will run throughout the day.
The event is designed to have activities and fun for all ages, with a bounce house and a bounce obstacle course for kids to enjoy, and beverages for all ages, including adult beverages, available for purchase.
“The Boys and Girls Club will also be here to talk about the offerings they have for our local community,” Savall said.
The Lincoln County Humane Society (LCHS) will also hold a big raffle and a 50/50 cash raffle to raise funds for the shelter in conjunction with the event. Advance tickets can be purchased at the LCHS during business hours.
“Everyone that we have talked to has been excited to see this event come to Merrill,” Savall said. “Seeing the support has really helped drive the promotion of the event and to help bring it to life.”
“Our amazing sponsors are excited to be a part of this event and see it grow each year. We really appreciate the support from them and the belief that this will be a great event,” she said.
Follow the event’s Facebook page, Merrill’s Food Truck-a-Palooza, for announcements and all current information, including spotlights of sponsors and the food trucks with their menus.