Alton's Food Truck Festival Returns with Route 66 Twist
A Route 66-inspired twist is coming to Alton’s Food Truck Festival, where visitors can sample from 20 Riverbend and Greater St. Louis area food trucks from 4–8 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 22, 2026.
Jazz & Wine and Food Truck Festivals Return to Alton! | Our Daily Show Interview
ALTON - The Alton Amphitheater is gearing up for its annual Food Truck Festival.
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From 4–8 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 22, 2026, the community can stop by the amphitheater to feast on food from 20 area food trucks. Admission is free, and everyone is invited to enjoy an afternoon of food and fun. This year’s theme is centered around the 100th anniversary of Route 66, with a few extras meant to honor the Mother Road.
While the Food Truck Festival is an annual favorite, Amphitheater Commissioner Abby Haynes noted that the group decided to incorporate new elements and experiment with the tradition.
“This has been kind of a unique year, kind of a special one to be trying new things,” she said. “Let’s start experimenting. We have some new people on the commission as well, so let’s take advantage of some of these concepts to play around and see what people enjoy.”
The commission landed on the Route 66 theme and decided to celebrate the road’s centennial. In the spirit of the Mother Road, Haynes encourages people to try new flavors, make memories and enjoy a classic Alton experience.
“We thought, why don’t we bring that to life and give people just an extra layer of an experience while they’re down there?” she explained. “It’s going to be extra special because we’ve taken advantage of the centennial year of Route 66 to bring it to life. We’ll be bringing the adventure of Route 66 to Alton for the Food Truck Festival. You can journey through Route 66 among food trucks.”
Foodies are encouraged to come out and enjoy. Haynes promises plenty of variety, but all of the trucks are from the Riverbend and Greater St. Louis area.
In addition to the food trucks, attendees can climb on a rock-climbing wall and enjoy extended hours at the nearby splash pad. Shaefor and Simes will provide live music.
This year, the Amphitheater Commission decided to create a “Local Pit Stop” with Alton food vendors and interactive elements. There will be several yard games, inflatables and photo ops available.
“We’ve been out in the community listening to feedback,” Haynes said. “Of course, as the city stage, it is our responsibility to make sure we’re stewarding it for the city and also attracting visitors as well. What we’re doing differently this year is inviting local vendors who have expressed interest in being a part of this but maybe just didn’t plug in so neatly to the food truck part of it. So we’re going to have a Local Pit Stop.”
Haynes is looking forward to the festival, which always draws a crowd. She noted that the Amphitheater Commission is eager to serve the community and bring people together for events like this. Many of the commissioners are new this year, and they are excited to share the Food Truck Festival with Alton and beyond.
“All of the fish are swimming in the same direction,” Haynes added. “We have a revitalization in our energy and our ideas. We have a long list of what we’re hearing from the community. We know our job is to be stewards of the community, not our own interests. We are very much taking that seriously. We spend a lot of time making sure that what we’re doing makes sense financially and in other ways. Everybody is super responsible, great attitudes, great spirits.”
For more information about the annual Food Truck Festival, visit the official webpage or the official Facebook event page. To learn more about the Alton Amphitheater and their upcoming events, check out their official website.
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