Variety of vittles will keep festivalgoers well-fed

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August 14, 2009

Anonymous The Tribune-Democrat Fri Aug 14, 2009, 01:47 PM EDT

By TOM LAVIS

TLAVIS@TRIBDEM.COM

Live entertainment may attract crowds to Johnstown’s AmeriServ Flood City Music Festival, but the cornucopia of food will keep them there.

Visitors will be able to partake in a variety of traditional and ethnic dishes during the festival, Friday through Sunday, without leaving Festival Park, which is located across the river from Point Stadium.

The music festival will feature Mom’s Food Service as its new master concessionaire.

Mom’s will be in charge of all food vending, and with its subcontractors will offer a variety of food with uniform pricing.

“When people hear the words ‘master concessionaire,’ they think one guy is doing all the food,” said Shelley Johansson, Johnstown Area Heritage Association marketing manager.

“Nothing could be further from the truth. We have one concessionaire overseeing all the food for the festival, which includes coordinating many of the favorites from festivals past as well as some new vendors,” she explained.

Johansson stated that another advantage of having a master concessionaire is that all booths will have a consistent appearance, which will make it easier for festivalgoers to find their favorites.

Vendors who are returning include the crab cakes by Sherri’s Fun Foods.

“Everyone calls her the Crab Cake Lady, and we also will have other favorites such as South Carolina Barbeque, who provide some amazing ribs and minced barbecued sandwiches with either turkey or pork and even smoked turkey legs,” Johansson said.

New this year is a vendor who makes jalapeno corn dogs, and there also will be some vegetarian specialties, such as black bean toasties.

“We've also got Greek, Mexican and Asian fare,” Johansson said.

Greek cuisine includes such items as gyro and kebabs. The Mexican delicacies feature beef, chicken, pork and tofu burritos, taco salads and quesadillas while Asian fare includes Thai coconut curries, Asian noodles and egg rolls.

“We also have our traditional festival favorites of Philly cheesesteaks, half-pound hamburgers, cheeseburgers, hot dogs, chicken fingers, fries, sliders, as well as jalapeno, regular and vegetarian corndogs,” Johansson said.

She said Mom’s has participated in major festivals such as All Points West, in Liberty Park, N.J.; Langley Air Force Base Air Show, Hampton, Va.; and SunFest Music Festival, West Palm Beach, Fla.

“Everything is made fresh on-site, nothing’s cooked in advance,” Johansson said.

The festival also will allow local volunteer groups to staff some of the food booths operated by Mom’s Food Services.

“They will earn 10 percent of a booth’s profits for their church or nonprofit,” Johansson said. “We have heard from about 20 organizations interested in volunteering. At this point, we have two commitments, and several others have said they are working to sign up volunteers.”

Other nonprofits that are willing to buy, prepare and serve their own specialties and will be manning the Community Kitchen are Beulah United Methodist Church, which will be selling halushki, pierogi and pigs in a blanket, and Memorial Baptist Church, which is offering gob cake.

There also will be plenty of sweets and snacks ranging from hot pretzels and funnel cakes to ice cream and Italian ices.

To wash it down, the vendors will offer floats, milkshakes, lemonade, smoothies, iced teas and soft drinks.

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