Temperatures supposed to be high of 78 degrees tomorrow (not exactly Alaskan Iditarod weather, but just about right for Tucson). I’m just re-announcing it for those of you who missed it the first time (with some updates):

The Great Tucson Iditarod Race:
April 1, 2012

You are invited to enter a shopping cart race in which teams of from 2 to 5 people tie themselves to a dressed up shopping cart, and manage their outrageously costumed-selves down the sidewalks of downtown Tucson.

Description
This is an urban adventure, with a shopping cart tied to your waist or being hand pulled. Mushers and “dawgs” must have a theme, and be in costume to support that theme. The races are fun competitions, but are not based on speed, or who gets to the finish line first. Racers wear costumes of the absurd such as Spanish bullfighters, javelina astronauts, favorite vegetables or fruit, puppies, or human pinatas.

Teams can be used to advertise their charity, their business, their school, their class, their program, their singing group, their church, their golf team, their class, their neighborhood, their office, their yoga group, their family, their brand, their politics, their dance class, etc.

There must be a musher riding in, or on, the cart at all times. Team members can switch at their discretion. The event will be video documented and photographed along the way. At the end of the race, 5 teams will be chosen and awarded $100 each in prize money. All ages welcome to participate.

Iditarod: (pronounced: Eye-DIT-uh-rod)

History:
The most famous Sled Dog Race in the world was the Iditarod which ran 1160 miles through the roughest and most beautiful Alaskan terrain. Mushers and dogs raced through fierce mountains, frozen rivers, thick forests, and desolate tundras.

The Present:
The Great Tucson Iditarod is tougher still. Mushers have to brave the U of A Mall, University Avenue, 4th Avenue and it’s perilous underpass, Congress Street, and Sixth Ave, only to end up at the center of the world: The Tucson Food Truck Roundup, if they survive their frostbitten journey.

The Race:
The race occurs on April 1, 2012, April Fools Day. There is no exact start time. Each team starts between Noon and 3pm, but at a time of their choosing. Check in at Bentley’s House of Coffee and Tea, 1730 E. Speedway.

Smart Mushers Register Beforehand:
Not necessary, but it will help all of us.
Entry fee: $30. Payable on Paypal (pay dinnerwareartspace@gmail.com), or check, or cash, day of the race. Get last minute updates before you set out on your journey. The race ends at the Tucson Food Truck Roundup at 5pm. Five, $100 cash prizes will be awarded at 5:30pm.

Along the way, you have to check in at certain stops. Each stop will give the team something to take with them on their journey. Those items must be presented at the end of the race. Some items may be small. Some may be large….

Start at Bentley’s, 1730 E. Speedway, then mush through the UA Mall to
-Time Market, then
-Skybar, then
-Xoom Juice on Congress, then head to the finish line at the Tucson Food Truck Roundup, 76 E. Sixth Street.

Awards: Clever theme selection, amazing costuming, animal decoration, artistic and crazy, award because the judges just loved them.

Preparing for the race:
Get a shopping cart. Where? Use your imagination, but a lot of times rejected shopping carts reside behind super markets. Just sayin. Shopping carts can be ‘adjusted’ to fit your needs including chopping them up. But keep the wheels on. Get your friends together, create some fun costuming, and you’re good to go. As always, be safe and be legal.

Iditarod stops are subject to change.
Guidelines subject to enhancement.
Award categories may be added or adjusted.

For updates:
http://www.tucsonfoodtruckroundup.com/Tucson_Iditarod.html

Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Great-Tucson-Iditarod-Race-April-1-2012/348140168539406

Created by
David Aguirre
Dinnerware Artspace
520-869-3166

Yow — this sounds grueling, to push or pull a shopping cart (without dogs) in the hot Southwest desert sun at high noon on Sunday April Fool’s Day! The route goes from Bentley’s at Nob Hill near Campbell, through the UA Mall along University Blvd., then down 4th Avenue through the underpass to downtown Congress Street, up 6th Avenue, and finally to Benjamin Plumbing (N. 7th Ave & E. 6th St.) Maybe only fools need apply?

I think I’ll just meander along this concrete pathway on a bicycle, sans the shopping cart. And don’t forget that the fun Food Truck Roundup starts at 4 p.m. (where the race ends), and goes to 8 p.m. I wonder if you can hitch your husky dog to a shopping car for good luck (and help pulling?)

At the end of the race, 5 teams will be chosen and awarded $100 each in prize money.
Be there to see who wins!

4/1/12 update: photos of 1st Iditarod race on April Fool’s Day 2012 (click here).

Food Truck Friday

Location:
Bookmans at Grant/Campbell (SE corner)
1930 E. Grant Rd.
Tucson, AZ, 85719
(520) 325-5767

Time:
02/24/2012 – 6:00pm – 9:00pm

“Gentlemen start your engines” because it’s Food Truck Friday, from 6-9 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 24 in the Bookmans Grant parking lot. Come on down for a tasty time and support local businesses because they couldn’t do it without you.

The line up (so far) is:
Guero Loco’s Bubba Que
Animal Farm
Jamie’s Bitchin’ Kitchen
Seis Curbside Kitchen
Street Delights
Trucking Good Cupcakes
K-Bork Tacos y Gorditas
Ni Hao Amigos
Hawaiian Shaved Ice
The Patty Wagon
Mafooco
Pin Up Pastries
Foodie Fleet
Red Pepper

These Food Truck events have been wildly popular at Dinnerware Artspace & Benjamin Plumbing, so check out this new location in mid-town at Bookman’s. Just went to the one on Sunday February 19 at the E. 6th St./7th Avenue location, and most of the trucks listed above were there, plus more (total of about 25 trucks/wagons at that roundup).

Other Tucsoncitizen.com bloggers Karyn Zoldan “From Market to Tucson Market“, and Molly Thrasher “Tucson Bites” have blogged about these popular food truck events, first started up on November 14, 2010.

I attended that very first one, and stood in the MaFooCo long line for kimchi quesadillas with fellow blogger “Telling Stories” (Penelope Starr) wondering how a self-respecting Asian-American like me (who grew up in multi-cultural Hawaii eating from similar lunch wagons) could combine Korean kim chi with Mexican food…

So I stopped by tonight for a 2nd visit of the “delightful and inexpensive night of tasteful exploration” of the Tucson Food Truck Roundup, advertised as “Tucson’s Best Kept Secret” on Sunday, January 29th on the corner of Sixth Street/Seventh Avenue.

Wow — it was around sunset and there were thousands of people there at the once empty lot at the SW corner of 7th Avenue and E. 6th St, just west of Benjamin Supply. People were patiently waiting & chatting in the long lines of about 30 plus trucks/wagons, which may continue until 9 p.m. tonight.

The number of food trucks have multiplied at least five times since that first event in November where I only remember about 6 trucks/wagons in the Dinnerware parking lot. And I hear that brave & hardy customers have been willing to even stand in lines with almost freezing temperatures in December.

Participating Food Trucks and brief description:

Mafooco (Korean Tacos)
Jane’s Rolling Wok (chinese food)
Guero Loco Bubba Q (smoked meats)
Jamie’s Bitchen Kitchen (cuban sandwich)
Robdogs(variety of toppings. Soy dogs, too.)
Red Pepper Mexican Gourmet
Jones St. Bistro (Premier Appearance! modern urban cuisine)
Cyclopsicle (frozen dessert on a stick)
Luncha Libre (mexican gourmet)
Stolen Recipe BBQ (delicious smoked BBQ)
Baja Tacos (seafood oriented tacos)
Isabella’s Ice Cream (dairy and nondairy)
Street Delights (one word: pie)
Shinobu Diego’s Tacos y Burritos
Pinup Pastries (whoopie pies with a smile)
Street Kitchen (sesame chicken with zucchini tempura, edamame)
Vero Amore Neopolitan Pizza
Jake’s Donuts and Funnel Cakes
Seis Curbside (mexican nouveau cuisine)
Planet of the Crepes (sweet or savory crepes)
Animal Farm (big burgers, sandwiches)
Roasted Corn (on the cob)
Q UP! Barbeque(BBQ nachos, chicken wings)

That list above are which trucks/wagons were expected and most were there, plus these additional ones I jotted down:

German Food Station
Taqueria El Tiburyn
Hawaiian Shave Ice
Island Grill JA (click here for earlier blog on this Jamaican food lunch wagon)
Ni Hao Amigos (Mexican food)
Original Cupcake Truck
Peddler on the Path Mobile Cafe (espresso coffee & smoothies)
Hot Fudge Mini Donuts
Nathan’s Hot Dogs Expresso to the Rescue

Music on stage scheduled today were:
4:30 – 6:00 The Shawn Kebler Trio (Jazz Fusion)

6:15 – 7:45 Those Beatles Guys (Beatles Tribute)

Also on the schedule today/tonight:

`See Artists in Action: Mel Dominguez and David Tineo.
`The Art Library will be set up. Look through arts related books.
`Balloon twisting entertainment in food lines, and other buskers.
`Lots of onsite parking, and on street parking.

(Plus I noticed some crafts & jewelry being sold at tables.)

Thanks to Benjamin Plumbing Supply, the Southern Arizona Arts and Culture Alliance, Yelp.com, juliegraphics.com, and Tucson Food Trucks.

The next Tucson Food Truck Roundup will gather February 6th, at the parking lot of the Tower Theatres in Marana, 5-9pm.
(Go to MyTowerTheatres.com for directions: Cortaro Exit/IH-10 Tower Theatres,
5755 W. Arizona Pavilions Drive, Marana, AZ.)

Contact info:
David Aguirre
Director
Dinnerware Artspace, dinnerwareartspace@gmail.com (A portion of the proceeds from these Food Truck Roundups supports Dinnerware Artspace),

Kudos to artist David for his organization of this event, bringing this growing number of food trucks together for a roundup each month. David used to write for us at Tucsoncitizen.com as “Artistic Tucson” (along with Charlie Spillar). What a large & wildly popular community event this has become!

Stand in a future food truck line (or two or three), enjoy the delicious food, art & music, and have fun in this festival like atmosphere.

Planet of the Crepes wagon