COVID-19 has taken its toll on the food truck industry and organizer of the Food Truck Wars Festival Rick Mah says consequently it has also impacted the festival which starts Thursday .

He says they have lost between 5 to 8 trucks that would regularly attend with some having sold their trucks, some have them up for sale and others are taking the year off. Mah says they will have just under 20 food trucks in attendance at this seventh edition of the Food Truck Wars Festival and would have normally had around 30.

This year’s festival, which starts today, will have food vendors, a street market area, a busker area, table seating and the festival is family and pet friendly so there will be a pet water station with a swimming pool and water for pets to drink, The Festival will be held in the area of 4th Avenue and 22nd and 23rd Streets.

The entertainment is downsized compared to years past when they would have had cultural dancing, food competitions such as hot dog eating, karaoke competitions, live pro-wrestling and beer garden. Those things are planned months in advance. The festival is on Thursday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.