It’s only taken three years to turn Northglenn into the most diverse dining district in the Denver Metro area for one weekend, the third annual Food Truck Carnival.

“The first year we did this, we had a little bit of a challenge to even get trucks to come,” said Steven Stokes, event supervisor for the city of Northglenn. “This year were full-up 14 days after we opened registration — with more names on a waiting list.”

The Food Truck Carnival, Northglenn’s signature spring event returns May 11 through 13 to Northglenn City Hall, featuring more trucks than ever, more varieties of food, music, carnival rides and brewery contest.

This year’s event features 85 food trucks confirmed, with fare ranging from barbecue, seafood and hot dogs to street tacos, macaroni and cheese and several varieties of wraps.

“That’s one thing we’ve learned, people really want that diversity of trucks,” Stokes said.

The event drew 18 trucks for the weekend in 2016, its first year. That number increased to 65 in 2017.

For this year’s event, the site will host 30 trucks per day on Friday and Saturday, each day featuring all new vendor.

The site hosts 25 trucks on the carnival’s final day Sunday, again with all new trucks.

“All 30 trucks change every day,” Stokes said. “If you come on Friday, none of those trucks are here on Saturday — and the same on Sunday.”

It’s a boon for the the trucks, he said.

“We are going to put 400 people in front of their truck each day, and that’s a lot for a truck,” Stokes. “Last year, each truck had between 400 and 500 each day.”

They’ll also bring in nine design trucks, featuring retail items — women’s clothing awnd accessories, gifts, the Anythink Library book mobile and truck devoted to Crocs, the puffy plastic shoes.

“Where people have found that the food trucks really work instead of a normal restaurant, they’ve started designing trucks for more uses like stores,” he said.

This year’s event also features a brew battle featuring the best beers from five Colorado breweries — Odyssey Beerwerks of Arvada, Wonderland Brewing of Broomfield, Denver’s Bruz Beers, Big Choice Brewing in Brighton and Northglenn’s Periodic Brewing.

Tickets to the brew battle are $20 and that buys a commemorative cup, ten four-ounce samples and one full pour of their favorite beer. They get to vote for the favorites on a smart phone app, with the winner being crowned at the end of the battle.

The event is free to attend but food is purchased from the vendors.

Carnival rides cost between $3 and $6 each but carnival wristbands cost $25 per day.

Parking

Stokes said parking is a concern, and he and other organizers are suggesting carnival attendees park on the east side of I-25 and south of 120th Avenue at the Wagon Road Park-n-Ride. A pedestrian underpass connects to the Northglenn city complex and the park, with an eight minute walk.

“There is parking at City Hall and around the park, but it’s limited and it’s scarce,” Stokes said. “Last years, people were able to find spots there but they usually had to circle around for 20 minutes or so.”