Blessed with an 80-degree sunny summer day, Playwicki Farm's recent summer food truck event drew families and friends of Southampton and of neighboring towns.
Playwicki Farm's August Food Truck Rally saw hundreds of residents bask in the summer weather on the evening of August 8 enjoying attractions like pony rides, balloon art, face painting, and inflatable igloos, while trying different food cuisines from a number of food trucks.
The 2nd Friday Food Truck Rally at Playwicki Farm occurs every second Friday from May to August from 5 pm to 8 pm and is coordinated by the Playwicki Farm Foundation in partnership with Jen Flannery of Mommy's Lil' Black Book, a website that provides resources for local events for families at affordable prices.
Food truck events at Playwicki Farm date back to 2016. Patrice Luongo, secretary on the board of the Playwicki Farm Foundation, said Playwicki Farm became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in 1996 when Lower Southampton Township petitioned to buy the property. Since then, the foundation has aimed to protect and promote the farm as a natural and recreational resource for the town and has raised funds for the upkeep of the property through various events such as flea markets and farmers markets. Funds raised by the foundation, for example, were recently allocated towards a renovation of the property's kitchen used by community members to hold events.
"We strive to host events that give back to the people within our community. The Township floated a bond to purchase the property. It is the tax payers' dollars at work," Luongo said "This is why we call it the jewel of Lower Southampton. We don't have a downtown like Yardley. We have Street Road and Bustleton Pike, but it's kind of busy, so this is a perfect place for events."
"The first two food truck events were done just by the foundation, and we have seven people on the foundation so it became very labor intensive with so few people to help." Luongo said.
Therefore, after the first two Playwicki Farm food truck events were a "big hit," Luongo said, the foundation discovered the event-planning services of Jen Flannery. Since 2018, Flannery has coordinated the event in partnership with the foundation.
Fundraising for 2nd Fridays comes partially from parking donations and food truckers. The foundation additionally raises money through their gift shop, selling baskets, and 50-50s. Luongo said that 2nd Fridays is currently their main fundraiser and that some years they have local businesses as sponsors for events and can raise more revenue. She estimates attendance nears 2,000 on 2nd Fridays; however, Flannery said they have faced six rain-outs in the past two years.
"I have a lot of contacts in the community, and [Playwicki Farm] needed the fundraising," Flannery said. "Nobody's making a million dollars, that's for sure, and everybody's doing a lot of work, but the community loves it and so do we."
Flannery said the number of vendors has grown over the years.
"I can't pack any more food trucks in here. They fill so fast because all the food trucks know that these are good events and they love being here," Flannery said. "We also have a lot more people attending these Friday evening events now than when we first started, because people now know that on the second Friday of the month, Playwicki is going to host this fun, family-friendly event."
Flannery added that due to her partnerships with various children's attractions, they don't charge her or the foundation to bring their services to 2nd Friday, so the public is only charged a "very nominal fee" in order for these companies to still make a profit.
"A kid can jump on those moon bounces for three hours for five dollars total. You can't go anywhere nowadays with your kids for five dollars," Flannery said. "I also make sure it's affordable for the vendors and food trucks because it's important to me that small businesses can participate without breaking the bank. The Playwicki Food Truck Rallies end up being a wonderful night for the foundation, food trucks, vendors and our community. It's a win all around."
Jessica Lanhan and Thomas Farrell, residents of Southampton, came to the event for nice weather and good food. Lanhan said she comes to Playwicki Farm in the warmer months to walk around, and frequently attends the food truck events.
"I've been coming every year since they started doing the food trucks, and we usually come at least once or twice a summer," Lanhan said. "It's also cool having it here because [Playwicki Farm has] been a staple in Feasterville."
"It gives everybody a reason to come out whether you're socializing with friends or just enjoying passing by familiar faces from the community. The occasional 'Go birds' is nice when you're wearing an Eagles jersey," Farrell said.
Jake Duckworth, resident of Lower Southampton, and Lily Ellis, resident of Levittown, said they enjoy seeing the different vendors and sampling the different cuisines the food trucks offer. Ellis said she enjoys the community aspect.
"It's nice to see all different kinds of people. You have old people, younger people, you have some people bringing their dogs, and it's nice to see people bonding over a simple thing such as food trucks," Ellis said.
Justine, Jared, Jackson, and Ella Grace Clark, first-time attendees of 2nd Fridays, held corn cobs in their hands while enjoying the summer weather as a family. "It's nice for them to get acclimated to being in crowds, meet new people, do new things, and try new foods. It's cool for us to experience it all together," Jared said.
Dana Porter, a resident of Feasterville who has been attending the event for two years, ate food with her family on the farm's lawn. "It's nice because when they start school, they're probably going to recognize people from our community who they saw here," Dana said.
Chuck Wogan, who lives in Sweetwater Farms which is close to Playwicki Farm, attended the event with Joanne Irlich, who lives in Northeast Philadelphia. Wogan said it's his tradition to attend the food truck rally, as he's been attending since its inception, and it's also conveniently located for him. "It's a good time, and it's not very far--I can walk here. Instead of everybody driving, we just walk through the paths from the woods," Wogan said.
Luongo added that Playwicki Farm is the "center of this community.”.
"They walk their dogs, people run here--there's 110 acres here," Luongo said. "They don't have to drive far, or they don't have to drive. There's housing developments all around here where some can walk from. It makes it very comfortable. I think [the community] appreciates it and feels like it belongs to them--that they belong here and this belongs to them."
