Battle of the Food Trucks & Music Festival [video]

Nick Garcia, Photography Editor|May 31, 2017

Nick Garcia

Cam High held it’s first annual Battle of the Food Trucks & Music Festival on Friday, May 20 from 11:30 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. in the football stadium. Organized by the Cam High Music Booster Club, various food trucks, featured bands, a kid’s zone, and vendor booths were at the event.

“[We hosted] the food truck festival [at the Camarillo football field] where you can eat a bunch of food from various food trucks and listen to different bands like the Camarillo jazz band along with other local musicians,” said senior and band member Katie Cha.

The purpose for the festival was to create a fundraiser for the band program that involved the whole community. “It all came to be honestly just trying to get a more community oriented event,” said Mr. Daniel Cook, Music Director and Department Chair of the music program.

Tickets went on sale beforehand for $8, and rose to $15 the day of the event. The tickets did not include purchases of food from the food trucks. Children under 10 years old were able to attend the  the festival free of charge except for a kids’ zone that cost $5 for entrance.

The event was mainly organized by parents in the music boosters while the band students help publicize the festival to the public. The band students’ parents in the music booster club had their own positions to reach out to organizations for the festival. “We have a different parent that [contacted food trucks], the coordinator of the event Ms. Julie Rutherford,” said Cook. “We have all these food trucks and percentages coming back to the [music] program.”

Seven food trucks were selling at the festival: The Grilled Cheese Truck, Rice Balls of FIRE!, It’s in the Sauce BBQ, La Panini Grill, Tacos El Caporal, Mister. Softee, and Nothing Bundt Cakes. “I’ve heard a lot about how good the food is from all the food trucks and how awesome the ice cream is as well,” said senior Drew Reyes.

Nine featured bands also performed on the stage near the entrance. These bands included the Off Beats, ACHS AM Jazz, ACHS PM Jazz, ACHS Jazz 1, Mariachi Alacran, Mariachi de Mi Tierra, Stereo Love , As Empires Fall, and Stereo Fidelity. “There was a parent, Mr. [Darryl] Gallardo that actually was the point person to help bring in outside groups,” said Cook.

Various vendor booths were dispersed down the track, including the following:

Tasha Stuart-Shuman, president of Gay Straight Alliance, fundraised at the event for her club by giving henna or temporary tattoos along with candy in exchange for donations.  “[Our] secretary is in band and she was talking to Mr. Cook, the band director, and she asked if GSA can do something for the event. He suggested some ideas, and henna was one of the suggestions. Then [they] voted on the ideas and this ended up being [their] finalized idea that got approved.”

Cam High’s Associated Student Body held the kid’s zone behind the food truck area with their own activities for children. “We have two jolly jump slides, a duck pond where [they could] win prizes, arts and crafts where you can make crowns, bookmarks, and paintings of all sorts, and we have face painting right here,” said Reyes, an ASB participant.

The proceeds from ticket sales are to be shared with Cam High’s music program, ASB, PTSA, athletic programs, and other school organizations. “Most of the proceeds will be going to [Cam High’s] music program to help fund for new equipment,” said Cha. This includes new uniforms, instruments, techs and their $100,000 budget.