‘First Friday’ Planned to Split Time in Ford City, Kittanning

by Jonathan Weaver

Cinco de Mayo will be celebrated a day later in Ford City this year.

From 5-9PM May 6 along 3rd Avenue between 8th Street and 9th Street, LA Taco, StudeCakers and other regional food trucks will set up shop for the first ‘First Friday’ event since 2014.

LA Taco Owner Walter Aguirre was excited to hear Ford City Borough Council members approved their request last night. He cited Kittanning’s ongoing Market Street construction as a reason for offsetting events in Ford City and Kittanning.

“Every event has built on itself and I think people are excited because we didn’t get to do it last year,” Aguirre said. “This year, with (StudeCakers owner Amanda Dingey’s) help and a few other people, we’re going to really get it going again.”

StudeCakers owner Amanda Dingey has had a food truck since the last ‘First Friday’ events in Kittanning.

She said both food truck owners will be actively promoting the event via social media to not only encourage local participation but also more food trucks.

“It’s hard to find out if somebody’s interested in coming without having 100 percent certainty that we’d be able to do it. Over the next couple days, we’ll be hitting social media and trying to get some other trucks to come up,” Dingey said. “It’s an event that people who came to it before keep asking for it. That word of ‘First Friday’ is still out there and I think (by) bringing it back, the whole community will be excited.

“There’s a big following of people who just like to go to food truck events period. They would make it a whole progressive meal, something from every single truck.”

Dingey said she and Aguirre targeted the park to allow people to sit and relax during the event and have use of Armstrong Trail bathroom facilities if need be.

Dingey was also cognizant of Borough parking spaces.

“We don’t really want to use a space where there are currently parking meters because it would be on a Friday, and if it starts at 5, people would be coming to set up their food trucks earlier than that and we wouldn’t want (Ford City) to lose revenue from the parking meters in the 300 block of 9th Street,” Dingey added.

Council Vice-President Tyson Klukan assured Dingey the park grass will be cut before May 6, tables will be available and bathroom repair should be completed and available for use.

Organizers are still deciding what the event will support. Past events have supported autism awareness, community food banks and the Drugs Kill Dreams Jail Experience

Live acoustic music will also be part of next month’s event.

Aguirre said Ford City Guitarist David Hipchen will be one of those musicians. Hipchen also performed two years ago.

Other ‘First Friday’ events will be planned for June, August, September and October. October’s event will benefit breast cancer awareness.