Gilbert Food Truck Food Court returns this Friday and Saturday with 14 trucks signed up for 2013

After taking a hiatus over the holidays, the Gilbert Food Truck Food Court returns this weekend. At least four mobile vendors – Hao Bao, SuperFarm, Liberty Biscuits, and Sandra Dee’s – will take part in the event’s 2013 debut from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday in the gravel lot just north of Oregano’s at Gilbert Road and Vaughn Avenue. The event also is held 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays at the site.

Cindie Powell-Boyle, who helps run the Gourmet Command Center food truck, takes over as organizer, replacing Casey Stechnij (SuperFarm, Udder Delights), who launched the mobile food court last fall. Powell-Boyle says she’s enlisted a rotating roster of 14 participants so far. “We want to make sure we have at least four food trucks each time,” she says. “There’ll be enough for a true food court.”

The event has launched a Facebook page where people soon will find a four-month calendar listing which vendors will be showing up each weekend. Powell-Boyle also is exploring adding live music, a car show or an art show to one or more dates to draw more people, “but we don’t want to overshadow the fact it’s first and foremost a food court,” she says.

The nearby Gilbert Farmers Market also draws several food trucks from 8 a.m. to noon Saturdays – look for Uprooted Kitchen, Liberty Biscuits, and Sandra Dee’s this Saturday – making Gilbert an increasingly popular destination. “It’s really good spot,” says Powell-Boyle, whose Gourmet Command Center offers cheese steaks, pulled pork, and burgers. “We’ve done many events in Gilbert and the people really turn out.”