From Oskar Blues:
BREVARD, NC - Oskar Blues Brewery is challenging more than twenty of the region's best food trucks to an epic TRUCK OFF at the REEB Ranch in Brevard, North Carolina and you're invited to judge. The annual Loaded Up and Truckin' Food Truck-Off and Aural Pleasure Fest returns April 15 with Dr. Dog headlining an ace lineup of music on the Ranch stage. Craft-beer-in-a-can and camping cap off a spring day that sets the bar seriously high for the summer festival season. Tickets go on sale February 1.
Long before Oskar Blues became the pioneering brewery of the craft-beer-in-a-can movement, 'Oskar Blues' was a place - a funky little brewpub in Lyons, CO serving up Cajun-inspired food alongside bluesy live music. The boundary crushing brewery has its roots in the Colorado restaurant business and brought that tradition to North Carolina with the Oskar Blues CHUBwagon food trucks. Operating two full-time mobile food kitchens of their own, Oskar Blues lives the food truck lifestyle and digs the food truck culture.
Loaded Up and Truckin' is a party, a festival, and a competition to showcase this culture. Food trucks push the culinary boundaries by bringing fresh, innovative, and delicious dishes straight to the people. You've seen food trucks near craft breweries, music venues, trailheads and festivals - Loaded Up and Truckin' brings all of this to one place.
So what in the heck is a "Truck Off?" Loaded Up and Truckin' assembles more than twenty food trucks - an impossible collection of the best grub on wheels. In addition to their full menus, each truck will serve a special menu item for festival goers who purchase a 'judges ticket' for $65. These hella lucky peeps get the exclusive chance to cram one-of-a-kind mobile kitchen creations from every truck into their faces. Once all judge-able dishes have been tasted, the people's court will preside over the judgment of the Truck-OFF Grand Champion. Smashbox Mobile Kitchen took home the trophy in 2016. Who will reign as Truck OFF Champion in 2017? The winning truck takes home a cool grand.
Not into passing judgement? A general admission ticket is also available for $35 so you can still git down to the tunes and purchase whatever food and beer you want with no refereeing responsibilities. Full menus from each food truck will be available for purchase and Oskar Blues will bring all the beers...all of them. Camping is available at the festival. Food? Beer? Camping? Checkity Check.
Last year's festival closed out with Charleston's Shovels and Rope.
We're stoked that this year's festival is headlined by Philadelphia psych-rockers,
Dr. Dog. Known for their compelling performances, the six-piece have been revered "for the deft, fluid interplay of their live shows, blending funk with roots-rock and psychedelia," by Rolling Stone. Their sound showcases an "unapologetic love of 1960s pop with a shambling indie-rock aesthetic," according to NPR, and they're bringing it to WNC. Nashville country darling, Nikki Lane, will also be stompin' the Truckin' stage. The self-proclaimed "First Lady of Outlaw Country," Lane has been making waves in the industry since she first entered the scene in 2011 and has been dazzling listeners with her kick-ass songwriting ever since.
Black Mountain faves, Floating Action (i.e. Seth Kauffman) are lauded as the "under-appreciated genius of the Asheville music scene," by NPR. Kauffman and co. blend folk, gospel, surf rock and soul for a distinct sound that makes for a killer show.
New WNC residents and musical power-couple Sarah Siskind and Travis Book (of The Infamous Stringdusters fame) will be bringing their roots rock side-project, Sarah Siskind & SUNLINER, to the festival also. Of Siskind, NPR says "her strong but vulnerable voice, her impeccable phrasing and her gently masterful guitar work make her an underexposed treasure," and she brings that all to SUNLINER. Called "a favorite Americana discovery," by Huffington Post, the trio have gained a reputation for putting on a transporting show replete with captivating songwriting and catchy melodies that is best described as country blues through a gritty, southern rock lens.
Have you heard of Abby the Spoon Lady? Well you're about to. Asheville busking group Fly By Night Rounders will be back out at the Ranch playing their foot stompin' mix of ragtime, bluegrass, honky tonk and jazz. Local old-school funk and R&B outfit, The Soul Magnetics, will also be joining the all-star crew of musicians at Loaded Up and Truckin'. The group plays catchy, groove-heavy funk reminiscent of such legends as James Brown or George Porter Jr.
Tickets and schedule information for Loaded Up and Truckin' Food Truck Off and Aural Pleasure Fest can be found online at loadedupandtruckin.com. General admission tickets are $35 and include admission into the REEB Ranch for the music and access to all the food trucks. Think you've got what it takes to choose the best food truck? A judge's ticket is $65 and includes admission to the site, a free small-plate from each truck, and a ballot to make your vote count for the truck off. In addition, tent camping is available for $20/per person. A limited number of creek-side car-camping spots are available for $100 (max of four people per spot). Tickets go on sale February 1. The Oskar Blues trolley will be shuttling festival-goers to and from Oskar Blues Brewery in Brevard. Here's a first look at some of the trucks that will be participating:
Food Truck Lineup:
More TBA
Oskar Blues CHUBwagon CANtina
Amazing Pizza Co.
Appalachian Chic
Belly Up Food Truck
Blue Smoke BBQ
Bun Intended
Chameleon Catering and Mobile Food Co.
The Grubbery Food Truck
Out of The Blue Peruvian Fusion Cuisine
The Real Food Truck
Root Down
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