Frankenmuth Funtown Chowdown Food Truck Festival is back

FRANKENMUTH, MI — The Frankenmuth Funtown Chowdown Food Truck Festival is back on Thursday, June 8, with dozens of food trucks, a beer tent and activities for families.

The annual summertime food truck festival kicks off from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Thursday at Frankenmuth River Place Shops, 925 S. Main St. in Michigan's Little Bavaria. Festival admission and parking are free. The food truck festival series continues through the summer with events on Thursday July 13, Aug. 10, and Sept. 14.

This year, each food truck festival day will showcase special activities and entertainment along with a variety of food vendors. The theme for the first event in the series is sports.

"We are excited to continue to offer a family-friendly environment and a community dinner like no other," Michael Keller Zehnder, owner of Frankenmuth Bavarian Inn Inc., which owns and operates River Place Shops, said in a statement.

The June 8 food truck lineup includes:

Each event will feature approximately 25 food trucks from across Michigan, music and a beer tent. There will be plenty of shaded seating and activities for families, including face painting and inflatables. The event is pet-friendly, but animals must be kept on a 6-foot leash at all times.

The food truck festivals take place on the east side of River Place Shops, Frankenmuth's German-themed outdoor shopping complex with more than 40 shops and attractions. Food trucks accept both cash and credit or debit cards, and an ATM is available on site.