Calling All Food Trucks

A New Way to Set Up at The Woods

If you’re a food truck owner looking for consistent, flexible places to set up this season, we’d love to connect.

We’ve recently added a brand-new Food Truck Request Form to our website, making it easier than ever to inquire about available dates at The Woods Park & Pavilion. No back-and-forth guessing. No complicated process. Just submit your preferred date, and we’ll take it from there.

And here’s the best part — any day the venue is not reserved for a private rental is open for food trucks to set up.

Weekdays. Weekends. Evenings. Lunch hours.

If it’s open on the calendar, it’s available.

Why The Woods?

The Woods is located at 1775 Marion-Waldo Road, right on the outskirts of Marion — exactly where town transitions into open road.

We sit next door to Homeless to Home Animal Rescue & Cat Sanctuary and near everyday stops like Dollar General, meaning there is steady, natural traffic from:

• Local residents running errands

• Drivers traveling in and out of Marion toward Waldo

• Families visiting the rescue next door

• Community members passing through town

When someone stops for errands and sees activity at The Woods — especially with our bright red Tube Dude waving roadside — curiosity follows.

It’s visible. It’s accessible. There's plenty of parking. And it creates opportunity for both intentional visits and spontaneous stops.

No Rental Fee — Just Purpose

There is no rental fee to set up.

Instead, we ask food trucks to consider donating approximately 10–15% of the day’s sales to support Homeless to Home Animal Rescue & Cat Sanctuary. That donation directly benefits food, medical care, and rescue efforts.

You serve. The community gathers. Animals benefit.

And if the day turns out to be a bust (because let’s be honest, that happens sometimes), we completely understand and would not anticipate a donation. We want this experience to be beneficial for you!

We Promote for You

When you set up at The Woods, we:

• Create a Facebook event page and website listing

• Promote your visit across our social media

• Advertise the date on our roadside sign

• (Weather permitting) set out our bright red Tube Dude

We are looking to build strong working relationships — not just one-time visits, but partnerships that grow over time.

Understanding Our Busy Season

We want to be transparent about what our calendar typically looks like.

Certain months — particularly mid May through June — are heavily booked with graduation parties, especially on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. In those peak periods, we may not schedule standalone food truck dates on those days simply because the venue is reserved.

However, that does not automatically mean weekends in June are completely off the table.

Food trucks typically set up in the front half of our parking lot, separate from the pavilion area. In some cases, if a private renter is comfortable with it, a truck may still be able to set up during a booked event. That can create a unique opportunity — benefiting from both drive-by traffic and guests attending the event.

Situations like that would always be handled on a case-by-case basis, with renter approval and thoughtful coordination.

We aim to make it workable — not complicated.

A Smart Backup Option

We know that events sometimes fall through. It's happened to us a couple of times over the years. Weather shifts, attendance drops, and outdoor festivals cancel unexpectedly.

If you’re already prepped and staffed, that can mean a significant loss.

If we have availability, The Woods can serve as a flexible “Plan B” location. Rather than wasting prepped food and losing the entire day, you still have an opportunity to set up and serve.

Keep us in mind as a reliable backup option when you need one!

Beyond Set-Up Days

We’re open to discussing broader collaboration.

In addition to regular food truck days and public events, we can discuss adding your business information to our Local Services lists featured on our Wedding and Private Event pages.

When couples and private renters are planning their events at The Woods, they browse those curated local business directories for vendors to contact. Being included there places your truck directly in front of:

• Wedding clients

• Private party hosts

• Fundraiser organizers

• Corporate and community event planners

It’s another way to create visibility and potential bookings beyond casual setup days.

Dates Are Open — For Now

As of the date this article is being posted, our calendar is wide open from now through mid-May, and then again from July through the mid October.

Once bookings increase in mid-March and event season ramps up, those open dates will begin disappearing quickly. If you’ve been considering expanding your setup locations, now is the time to reserve your dates.

You can view currently available dates on our booking calendar through the “Schedule a Tour” page.

Then head to the new Food Truck Request Form and submit your preferred date.

It takes just a few minutes.

Let’s Make This Season the Best One Yet

We have been making lots of changes around here to elevate the venue, and these partnerships are the next step! Good food brings people together and builds community. Thoughtful collaboration benefits everyone — especially the animals we serve next door.

If you run a food truck — or know someone who does — please share this article with them (you can find share buttons at the bottom). Let’s build something consistent, visible, and meaningful this season!