LOCAL
Wednesday, May 1, 2019
HeRMIsTOnHeRaLd.COM • A3
Hermiston Cinco de Mayo
gears up for 2-day festival
Carnival kicks off Friday
night
By TAMMY MALGESINI
COMMUNITY EDITOR
staff photo by Jade Mcdowell
Hermiston’s new food truck pod, Third Street Eats, doesn’t have its grant opening until May
1, but some food trucks are already open.
Hermiston food pod
launches soft opening
By JADE MCDOWELL
NEWS EDITOR
T
he people asked, and
Hermiston listened.
The city’s new
food truck pod is now open
for business after residents
asked the city to reconsider
its restrictions on mobile
food vendors. Third Street
Eats will have its official
grand opening on Wednes-
day, but the pod is in soft
opening mode now.
Last week Southern
Twain BBQ, the Owie Out-
law Tribe Cafe and Tacos
Garcia were serving cus-
tomers in the parking lot at
240 S.E. Third St., across
Orchard Avenue from McK-
enzie Park. Quality Conces-
sions is also participating in
the pod by selling elephant
ears and other “fair food,”
but they were not parked
there last week.
Patrick Hunt of South-
ern Twain BBQ said he has
been doing good business
so far. His truck sells every-
thing from pulled pork sand-
wiches to brisket by the
pound.
Previously, Hermiston
had restricted its food truck
licenses to three — all held
by local taco trucks. Hunt,
a Hermiston resident who
perfected his culinary skills
while living in North Car-
olina, had not been able to
operate in Hermiston until
several residents approached
city hall and lobbied for
changes that would allow for
more food trucks in town.
He said he was grate-
ful for those residents, and
those who voiced their opin-
ion in a survey the city put
out afterward.
“You guys are great
because you spoke up and
the city council followed
your directive,” he said. “If
you want positive change
in town, that’s how to get it
done.”
Hunt had been travel-
ing to Pendleton every day
with his truck, but will now
serve up ribs, sausage, bris-
ket, pulled pork and cole-
slaw in Hermiston while
Third Street Eats is in opera-
tion. He said he hopes to do
enough business in Herm-
iston to afford a second
truck that could return to
Pendleton.
“I’m still loyal to Pendle-
ton, but this is right around
the corner from my house,
so it’s a no-brainer for me,”
he said.
Monica Todd, who oper-
ates the food truck pod
on behalf of the city, said
there are other food trucks
that have expressed inter-
est in participating this sum-
mer but have not yet gotten
the required license from
the Umatilla County Health
Department. Space is still
open for more vendors, who
can pay for space by the
month, by the day or by the
weekend.
Technically, Tacos Gar-
cia is on private property
and is not part of the food
pod, but vendors are glad
it offers another option to
draw in customers.
“We look at it like a
co-op process,” Todd said of
the food pod. “We help each
other out and we’re finding
what works for us.”
In addition to the food
trucks, there are picnic
tables, garbage cans and a
portable restroom onsite.
Todd said she is getting in
more tables soon, along
with giant shade umbrellas
donated by Pepsi. She plans
to get live music at the pod
going on certain days in the
future, and will host spe-
cial events on days such as
Mother’s Day, Father’s Day
and graduation.
The city is requiring the
food trucks to move once
a week so that the parking
lot can be cleaned. Partici-
pants plan to close up shop
at 4 p.m. on Sunday after-
noons and return at 4 p.m.
on Mondays.
Angela Todd, Monica’s
daughter, was operating
Owie Outlaw Tribe’s pink
food truck April 24, selling
everything from corn-chip-
and-chili “haystacks” to
chili lime popcorn.
“We offer a lot of keto-
friendly, gluten-free, carb-
free options,” she said.
They are also offering a
“Bang for your Buck” lunch
special adding a Bang energy
drink to any lunch for a dol-
lar, in the hopes of attracting
students from nearby Herm-
iston High School.
So far, however, the food
pod’s customers have mostly
been adults on their lunch
break. On April 24 Travis
Hulse, Jared Chandler and
Ricardo Curiel were sitting
at one of the tables enjoying
sandwiches from Southern
Twain BBQ.
“The brisket has got a
lot of flavor,” Chandler
said, commenting he was
happy the city had gotten the
food truck pod idea off the
ground.
Hulse said he liked the
idea as well, and hoped
word spread and more ven-
dors joined the pod.
“I like the idea of bring-
ing variety to town,” he said.
“We’re kind of saturated
with certain types of food
here.”
The Hermiston Cinco de
Mayo committee is gearing
up for a second year at the
Eastern Oregon Trade and
Event Center, 1705 Airport
Road.
The popular event,
which previously outgrew
other venues, is Saturday
from 4-11 p.m. and Sunday
from noon to 10 p.m. The
two-day festival features
family activities, live enter-
tainment, vendor booths,
a beer garden, an evening
dance and the Miss Seno-
rita Cinco de Mayo pag-
eant. There is no admission
charge.
Saul Olvera said about
15 vendors have already
committed for the event,
and he expects a few more
before the weekend. A vari-
ety of food and wares will
be available for purchase,
he said.
Rainier
Amusements
presents the Cinco de Mayo
carnival, which kicks off
Friday from 4-9 p.m. with
a Buddy Night. Pre-sale
wristbands for Friday are
buy one, get one free.
The carnival contin-
ues Saturday from noon to
staff photo by Tammy Malgesini
Cousins Luciano Silva, Nadine Ortego and Alexis Silva pose
for a photo before riding in the Kid Car Combo at the carnival
during the 2017 Hermiston Cinco de Mayo celebration. The
carnival opens Friday with Buddy Night at EOTEC.
10 p.m. and Sunday from
noon to 9 p.m. Children
must be at least 2 years
old to ride. Wristbands
purchased in advance are
$20 each (and include one
game). They can be picked
up at 395 Quick Stop, 455
N. First St., Hermiston.
Those purchased on-site are
$30 each.
An evening dance —
Gran Baile — will begin
Saturday night at 5 p.m.
Several Latin bands will
play traditional and con-
temporary music. Live
entertainment is featured
Sunday, including music
and folkloric dancers.
40 Taps plans
‘Star Wars’ fiesta
All things “Star Wars” is featured
during a fiesta at 40 Taps.
In addition to Mexican beers, margar-
itas and tacos, a full mariachi band will
kick off the fun Saturday from 11 a.m. to
3 p.m. at 337 S.W. Emigrant Ave., Pend-
leton. The band, Mariachi Jalisciense,
features Emilio Zapata, the grandson of
The Miss Senorita Cinco
de Mayo pageant, which is
Sunday at 3 p.m., includes
Lili Juarez, Nayeli Resen-
diz, Paloma Silva and Bri-
sieda Sandoval. In addition
to the beauty contest, each
contestant will share about
their culture and what it
means to them. At the con-
clusion of the live pageant,
one of the young women
will be crowned Miss
Hermiston Cinco de Mayo
2019.
For more informa-
tion,
contact
info@
hermistoncincode-
mayo.com or visit www.
HermistonCincoDeMayo.
the famous Mexican general Emiliano
Zapata.
May the Fourth Be With You contin-
ues with a “Star Wars” theme into the
evening, including karaoke and an open
mic from 4 p.m. to midnight. People are
encouraged to dress in costumes — rep-
resenting fiesta fun or “Star Wars — but
it’s not required. There is no cover charge.
For more information, call 541-
612-8559 or visit www.facebook.com/
fortytaps.
k
10
5
1 mile run
SATURDAY May 11th, 2019
VISIT US ON THE WEB AT
HermistonHerald.com
What will you run for?
I am Banner Bank.
Stacy is a veteran banker with
25 years experience. Raised in
Boardman, she’s proud to call
Eastern Oregon home. As an active
member of our local community,
you’ll find her volunteering with
the Hermiston Sports Boosters, the
Blue Mountain Golf Tournament
and the King and Queen’s Golf
Tournament. Find out how Stacy
can support your success.
Join the Tri-Cities Cancer Center Foundation in support of local
cancer patients and their families. Run for Ribbons is a 10k, 5k and
1mile run/walk community event to raise awareness and promote
prevention of all forms of cancers. All funds raised from this event
stay LOCAL.
Participants can purchase an event t-shirt featuring a blank
ribbon. It’s the Run for Ribbons tradition to decorate it, customize
it, use it to honor a memory, celebrate survival, or to simply
encourage hope.
$25 Adults / $15 Youth / $10 for t-shirt
(Registration fee does not include t-shirt)
10k, 5k and 1mile Run - Walk
Howard Amon Park in Richland
RibbonFest / Check In 8:30 am
Run - Walk Begins 10:00 am
Commercial Lending - Hermiston
541-564-4208
bannerbank.com ~ 800-272-9933
Register online: www.runforribbons.org
Register by phone: 509.737.3413
Member FDIC