It’s Garden State lobster rolls vs. Philly hoagies, and tasty tacos battling mouth-watering empanadas, as the Food Truck Border Brawl presented by Provident Bank returns to SteelStacks on June 10. Tickets for the food truck event, which has expanded from 16 to 20 trucks for 2017, are on sale at www.steelstacks.org and 610-332-3378.

At the Food Truck Border Brawl, 10 of the Garden State’s most dynamic mobile eateries go head to head against 10 of the Keystone State’s best food trucks while serving up amazing eats including Wisconsin fried cheese curds, gourmet cupcakes and Korean fusion like dumpling bowls and kimchi fries. All participants are members of the New Jersey Food Truck Association, Greater Lehigh Valley Mobile Food Alliance or Philadelphia Mobile Food Association. The event, which attracted 6,000 people in 2016, offers two public sessions; the first takes place from noon-3 p.m. and a second runs from 5-8 p.m., with a one-hour VIP Hour preceding each public session.

During the Border Brawl, both attendees and the event judging panel sample the trucks’ offerings and then vote for their favorites, with the “People’s Choice” and “Best Overall Food Truck” awards presented at the conclusion of the event. Returning to defend their Border Brawl crowns are 2016 “Best Overall Food truck” winner Surf and Turf Truck of Hamilton, N.J., which wowed the judges and the crowds with its lobster rolls; and The Empanada Guy of Old Bridge, N.J., which captured the 2016 “People’s Choice”award. Among the new participants for 2017 are Uncle Paul’s Stuffed Pretzels of Hamburg, Pa., which has twice appeared on the Food Network’s Carnival Eats, and Lexylicious of Toms River, N.J., which serves up delectable ice cream sandwiches that earned it a spot on NJ.com’s 2016 list of 40 great food trucks worth visiting.  In addition to an amazing array of food, the Border Brawl is enhancing its family-friendly focus for 2017 by adding in a new kids’ area with arts & crafts activities.

June Webre, Provident Bank Market President – Lehigh Valley, says Provident Bank is excited to be the presenting sponsor of the Border Brawl this year.

“This event offers a unique opportunity for us to raise awareness of our brand in the Lehigh Valley and strengthen our efforts to promote the bank in a market we’ve identified for growth,” says Webre. “The Food Truck Border Brawl captures the fun and competitive spirit of the Lehigh Valley, and is becoming an annual tradition for many.”

The complete list of 2017 Border Brawl participants is:

Pennsylvania Food Trucks

Dos Hermanos Tacos – Ambler, PA – NEW
Fired Up Artisan Oven – Allentown, PA – NEW
Oink & Moo BBQ – Philadelphia, PA
Philadelphia Hoagie Co. – Philadelphia, PA – NEW
Philly Fry – Philadelphia, PA
Phyllodelphia Greek & Mediterranean Food Truck – Glenmore, PA – NEW
The Cow and The Curd – Philadelphia, PA
The Happy Pita – Downingtown, PA
Sweet Lush Cupcakery – Dunmore, PA – NEW
Uncle Paul’s Stuffed Pretzels – Hamburg, PA – NEW

New Jersey Food Trucks

Bro-Ritos – Old Bridge, NJ – NEW
Cheezen – New Brunswick, NJ – NEW
Empanada Guy – Old Bridge, NJ
Jersey Johnny’s – Pequannock, NJ
Lexylicious – Toms River, NJ – NEW
My Four Suns – Hamilton, NJ
One Big Party BBQ – East Windsor, NJ – NEW
Pizza Vita – Summit, NJ
The Outslider – Freehold, NJ – NEW
The Surf and Turf Truck – Hamilton, NJ

Border Brawl Hours:
Session I

VIP Hour: 11 a.m.-noon
General Admission: noon-3 p.m.
Session II

VIP Hour: 4-5 p.m.
General Admission: 5-8 p.m.

Ticket prices for the Border Brawl presented by Provident Bank are below; the special VIP ticket includes a Musikfest Mug and early access to visit all of the food trucks before the public session.
Proceeds from the Border Brawl go to support the nonprofit ArtsQuest’s free music, arts and education programming for the region, including Musikfest, the largest free music festival in the nation. For more information, visit www.steelstacks.org.