By Shaun Scott, Puyallup Tribal News
Hundreds of individuals including a bevy of Puyallup Tribal Members attended Family Day at the Puyallup Tribe Food Truck Village and Farmers Market on a sunny Saturday afternoon on April 12.
The event featured a multitude of vendors and had a wide array of different items for sale. The most popular vendors throughout the day were the food trucks, which saw sizable lines for the majority of the afternoon.
Events Director Chester Earl said he was thankful Tribal Council entrusted the Events Department with putting together the Food Truck Village. This is the second consecutive year the Food Truck Village has been in operation in the spring.
“To see this event take off and help us build these opportunities for our vendors and our Tribal Members, it means the world,” Earl said. “It makes me feel very good to help provide more opportunities.”
As Earl gazed around the hive of activity in the early afternoon, he reflected on his own childhood.
“I’m a baby of the 1970s. When I grew up family days were huge. They seem to be going away more in the general public, but in the Tribe that is what we depend on, our next big event, our next big family day,” he said.
Tribal Member Roselynn Johnson attended Family Day with her husband and her daughter.
“I love seeing everybody here. It is a perfect day. My daughter is enjoying it and we get to eat some really good frybread,” Johnson said.
Tribal Member and Director of Emergency Housing Don Coats was glad the weather cooperated with the festivities.
“We got to enjoy some sunshine today, finally. Seeing all of the kids out here, it means a lot. Everybody is out here doing great things, there is something for everyone,” Coats said.
Earl said he was thrilled to have three Tribal food stands (Frybread Factory, La Paloma Blanca and JJ’s Java) return to the Food Truck Village for back-to-back seasons.
“They are here all the time,” Earl said with a smile. “We could really use more Tribal food trucks to help take this (Food Truck Village) to the next level. We definitely have room for more food trucks.”
Frybread Factory, co-owned by Katherine Miles and Alissa Varbel, was a popular destination for Family Day attendees.
“The community loves us and we love the community. It is awesome having food that makes people super happy,” Varbel said.
Miles said she was glad to be back.
“It is a huge opportunity for us to be here because not only do we get to be here on our Tribal land and get to participate with our Tribal Community, but also the greater community at large,” Miles said. “Being here has been awesome. Before we would travel around, but now we have a space people can always find us,” Miles said.
Earl said the Food Truck Village will be open for business from noon to 7 p.m. on April 18 and April 19.
