First-Ever Lake Of The Ozarks Food Truck Festival Set For Oct. 24

Leaning into the growing popularity mobile eateries—aka "food trucks"—the Lake area will be hosting its first-ever food truck festival. Laurie City Parks and Recreation Director Donna Batliner is bringing together a tasty convoy of food shacks on wheels and local home-crafted vendors and entertainment, for the LOTO Food Truck Festival, on Oct. 24.

The festival will take place on Sunday, Oct. 24, 12 p.m. – 7 p.m. at the Laurie Hillbilly Fairgrounds Food Shack Pavillon. Live music, face painting, and bounce houses will also be part of the event.

Local singer/songwriter Phillip Twitchell who has released his second album, Elated, will perform at the festival. Twitchell has been appearing in the Lake area at Coconuts, Lucky’s, Regalia Hotel, Backwater Jacks, and Dog Days for their weekend live entertainment. His laid-back style of soft, then powerful indie rock, blues, soul, funk is now playing on Bandcamp, YouTube, ReverbNation, and AllMusic, the originals that is. He also sings covers of Pink Floyd, Led Zepplin, and nineties hits in his live sets. Twitchell will sing and play from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Live music will continue with Starla & Scotty from 4-7 p.m. Award-winning Starla McQueen has been a star of the Lake area for many years. Dubbed “The Queen of Swing,” her duo with Scotty Henderson brings a mix of country, classic rock, jazz, swing, and blues. Both are heavily awarded and well-known artists in their own right, but together are pure magic, with Starla plunking her big bass and Scotty on guitar.

Festival organizer Ashley Hays hopes that this event opens the door for multiple food-truck festivals every year.

The festival is also a perfect time to highlight local producers due to supply line shortages nationwide going into the holiday shopping season, bringing together the best of what the Lake has to offer in businesses too small to have their own shops. Many of the vendors at the LOTO Food Truck Festival regularly offer their food and wares at area farm markets, festivals, and bazaars.

The event is free to the public for entertainment and music. Confirmed vendors for the festival promise lots of great food and shopping, as well as fun for the entire family.