From oxtail to brisket, Food Truck Friday brings a variety of cuisines to Bloomington residents between 11 a.m. and 8 p.m. Running from early April until the end of October, the weekly event is a culinary cultural blend in Switchyard Park.
Community is the center of Food Truck Fridays, an idea which Jordan Davis, who handles the logistics of the event, has emphasized in podcast interviews and social media campaigns promoting the event. As local classic rock and country artist Tony Brown performed onstage, Tori LaRocca watched from her food truck, which was almost directly facing the stage.
“The bands are really interesting,” LaRocca, an employee of Elli-May’s Smoked BBQ, said. “When we have a really popular band here, that’s definitely memorable.”
LaRocca, having now spent two summers and numerous Food Truck Fridays working at the truck, watches the bands throughout her shift, noting the amount of people they entice to come along with them. When a more well-known artist comes, this is when Food Truck Friday is the busiest.
“The biggest challenge of working in a food truck is how busy it gets,” LaRocca said.
Caribbean Tings is relatively new to Food Truck Fridays, first attending the event Aug. 29 before becoming a regular offering. Karen Julien, the owner, began operating the truck full time in March 2025.
Her truck originally started as a camper, then became a fully functioning food truck after renovations. Despite the challenging renovation work, infiltrating the mobile food scene proved to be a bigger challenge.
“For the most part, some events you get invited to, others you must sign up for,” Julien said. “Talking around with other food trucks about what’s going on in town is the best way to know what events there are.”
Julien also heavily values her Haitian community. Originally from Miami, Florida, with parents from Haiti, Julien began cooking more of her Haitian food to share her culture with her children. When she noticed the lack of Caribbean foods that were not Jamaican around Bloomington, she made it her mission to begin sharing this piece of herself with the community. She said the oxtail brings the most customers in, pulling reactions of curiosity and excitement from those who have never experienced the cuisine before.
“I love the fact that a lot of people are interested in Caribbean food and being open to the different spices and flavors,” Julien said.
Julien said she hopes to expand enough to get a brick-and-mortar location next year, bridging the gap between her Haitian roots and the Bloomington community.
On the other side of the park was Planted Bloomington, a plant-based food truck and catering business. Manar Abuzer, Bloomington local, IU alumna and Planted employee, said the truck is aimed at making vegan food more accessible to those not familiar with the cuisine.
“We’re trying to cater to everyone, make things that even non-vegan people would enjoy. Spreading our impact that way,” Abuzer said.
Abuzer said she enjoys witnessing people’s reactions to trying vegan foods they sell, like vegan ice cream and soup. Only one person on the staff of about five people is vegan; Abuzer describes herself as “plant-forward,” somewhere between vegan and vegetarian. Regardless, the mission still stands to make vegan cuisine more accessible in a market full of animal based-options.
“We make people conscientious of what they’re eating and where it’s coming from,” Abuzer said. “We source a lot of things from the farmers themselves. Really, the goal is just to connect people with their food and community.”
Food Truck Fridays will continue until Oct. 31, picking up again next April.
