By ALANA MITCHELSON
AN INAUGURAL food truck carnival has put Berwick back on the map, attracting a huge crowd of 50,000 people to the suburb.
Casey police were pleased to report that the five-day festival was incident free, given the high volumes of people.
“What an epic weekend for food truck lovers,” Narre Warren’s Sergeant Laura Carter said.
“There were no dramas and it was great to see everyone enjoying the food and the atmosphere.”
Carnival organiser Danny Grant said the crowd was almost twice the expected size.
“To think that we saw 50,000 people through here in 40 hours – it’s a credit to the community that everyone was so well-behaved,” he said.
“There were lots of young families but it attracted people of all ages and nationalities.
“It was this hub of multiculturalism.”
Mr Grant said some attendees travelled up to two-and-a-half hours for the event.
Those who went to the carnival during the off-peak times of 5pm to 6pm and 9pm to 10pm avoided the lengthier queues for their meals, he said.
“It was a bit of a wait during peak times but for those who decided not to wait for their meal, the event brought people out to restaurants and really benefited local businesses.”
The festival will be held annually and expanded to meet demand.
There are plans for a larger venue space, more trucks, more festivities and possibly a fireworks display.
