Las Vegas ‘lottery’ to designate food-truck spots for First Friday events
A wide variety of permitted food options is coming to the monthly First Friday arts festival.
Food trucks and mobile food trailers will be able to station at five designated locations along the Arts District festival grounds, the city of Las Vegas announced this week.
The development is part of a pilot program that will kick off at the Nov. 3 event. It was born out of discussions between city officials and business owners about illegal parking.
The operators will be chosen through a drawing.
“Lottery winners will be able to use the space they choose on the First Friday of their choice,” the city wrote in a news release.
Those spots will be located on West Imperial and East Colorado avenues, South Commerce Street and South Casino Boulevard and will be available from 6 to 10 p.m., the city said.
“There are five spots, and each spot is for one truck,” city spokesman Jace Radke said. “They will lottery for the spots for six months, so for example if truck A gets the first pick, it can pick which of the spots it wants and which date. The second pick chooses and so on.”
Business owners already licensed to operate within city limits can apply to enter the drawing but have to pay $50 per lottery application, the city said.
Applications must be turned in before noon on Oct. 20 at the Las Vegas Parking Services Office, 350 S. City Parkway.
The lottery will be held there at 9 a.m. Oct. 25, the city said.
“Food trucks will be able to choose the date and spot that they want to operate in over the next six months,” the city said.
Food vendors that operate elsewhere in downtown Las Vegas have been chosen through a similar lottery, the city said.
The First Friday festival celebrated its 20th anniversary this year.
What began as a block party has transformed into a mainstay that every month draws thousands of attendees, who are able to enjoy local art and music.
Operators interested in the food vendor pilot program can contact the city for more information by calling 702-229-4700 or messaging clvfoodtruck@lasvegasnevada.gov.
Contact Ricardo Torres-Cortez at rtorres@reviewjournal.com. Follow @rickytwrites on X.
