Tempt your family's taste buds with these summer street food festivals

Street food is one of the pleasures of a city summer. It is fun to sit outdoors, trying out new tastes from an array of enterprising cooks that you might never otherwise have a chance to encounter. It also tends to be kid friendly. Simple food, quickly (but not too quickly) prepared and easily customized, with no worries about your kids’ noise or mess disrupting the ambiance of some snooty restaurant.

For those who are hooked on wonderful things that come in flimsy rectangular cardboard serving trays, here are some great summer food truck events. Can’t wait for an event? Try these resources for finding food trucks in your neighborhood: Seattlefoodtruck.com and Roaming Hunger.

South Lake Union Saturday Market

11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays

139 9th Ave N

More than 60 food vendors are on the roster of Seattle’s biggest regular gathering spot for street food purveyors. Offerings change every week, and each week has a special theme. Two particularly kid-friendly themes coming up: the Sweet Tooth pop-up on July 27 and the Grilled Cheese Grand Prix on Sept. 14.

Seattle Night Market: Aloha

4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17

139 9^th Ave N

Evening gathering of trucks stalls and pop-ups featuring street food dishes from Polynesia

[Looking for more kid-friendly activities? Download our app and discover our customizable events calendar. Filter by child ages, location, free events and more.]

Everett Food Truck Fest

Noon to 6 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 24

Wetmore Plaza, 2710 Wetmore Ave, Everett

More than 30 food trucks will converge for this annual event, which comes with a 5K Yum Run for those who want to stoke their appetites with exercise.

Food Truck Taste-Off

5 to 9 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 8

Magnuson Park Hangar 30, 6310 Northeast 74^th Street, Seattle

Food trucks face off in this tasty competition for the best signature food truck dish. The event includes music, raffle prizes, and a beer and cider garden for grown-ups. Admission plus food-tasting tokens is $30 for adults and $15 for kids (free for children age 12 and younger). Event proceeds benefit Solid Ground, a nonprofit working to solve local poverty.