Food Truck Battle 2026 More than 55 vendors packed Chevy Court at the New York State Fairgrounds for the sixth-annual Food Truck Battle. (Charlie Miller | cmiller@syracuse.com) (Charlie Miller/(Charlie Miller | cmiller@syracuse.com))

Geddes, N.Y. — Saturday finally felt a little like spring again in Central New York. Chevy Court at the New York State Fairgrounds looked more like a packed August afternoon at the State Fair than a chilly weekend in early May. Thousands of people poured into the sixth-annual Food Truck Battle, chasing everything from chopped gyros and pork belly burnt ends to deep-fried Oreos and banana draft lattes.

And after last year’s event was cut short by storms, organizers were thrilled to see sunshine instead of dark clouds.

“Please tell me you’re taking pictures of the crowd today because we finally have some good weather,” organizer Nick Sanford of Toss & Fire Pizza joked. “I get so depressed when I see old pictures of cloudy skies and rain. Today is just great.”

More than 58 food trucks lined Chevy Court and the surrounding grounds, serving sample-sized dishes for hungry festivalgoers who bounced from truck to truck all afternoon. Families filled the KidZone, kids attacked jumpy houses and long lines formed at many of the most popular vendors.

The panel of judges included a group of Syracuse firefighters, Alex DeRosa and Matt Read of the PBS show “Spatchcock Funk,” SavorCuse food enthusiast Julia Freeman, along with syracuse.com food writers Charlie Miller and Jacob Pucci.

This year’s sweet winner went to Blueberries & Lace for its banana draft latte, topped with “Vote for Us” written directly into the frothy foam. The drink came paired with an oatmeal cookie described as an “adult version of a Little Debbie cookie.”

Food Truck Battle 2026 A banana draft lattej from Blueberries & Lace with a not-so-subtle message to the judges. (Yes, we did vote for them.) More than 55 vendors packed Chevy Court at the New York State Fairgrounds this weekend for the sixth-annual Food Truck Battle. (Charlie Miller | cmiller@syracuse.com) (Charlie Miller/(Charlie Miller | cmiller@syracuse.com))

Oh Crepe & Waffles took second place with its Boston cream “croffle.” Baba Bowls on the Go took third with a “Trio of the Tropics.”

Food Truck Battle 2026 Workers at Baga Bowls put the finishing touches on a bunch of their “Trio of the Tropics.” More than 55 vendors packed Chevy Court at the New York State Fairgrounds for the sixth-annual Food Truck Battle. (Charlie Miller | cmiller@syracuse.com) (Charlie Miller/(Charlie Miller | cmiller@syracuse.com))

On the savory side, Oompa Loompyas earned top honors for its dish called the mini puffy taco tag team, one of the more talked-about bites of the day.

Redneck Reuben took second place for its $5 Reuben sandwich. Mamacitas placed third with its Seoul Street nachos.

Food Truck Battle 2026 Seoul Street nachos from Mamacita’s. More than 55 vendors packed Chevy Court at the New York State Fairgrounds for the sixth-annual Food Truck Battle. (Charlie Miller | cmiller@syracuse.com) (Charlie Miller/(Charlie Miller | cmiller@syracuse.com))

The most creative award went to the Noodle House for its pho dip banh mi sandwich.

Food Truck Battle 2026 The pho dip banh me from the Noodle House. More than 55 vendors packed Chevy Court at the New York State Fairgrounds for the sixth-annual Food Truck Battle. (Jacob Pucci | syracuse.com) (Jacob Pucci/Jacob Pucci)

The Food Truck Battle has grown into one of Central New York’s biggest spring traditions, unofficially kicking off festival season with two days of food, music and controlled culinary chaos. This year’s lineup featured everything from Korean street food and Colombian empanadas to grilled cheese smash burgers and pho dip banh mi sandwiches.