Foxpin, meals vehicles and household enjoyable spotlight 515 Day in downtown Ames

Downtown Ames is marking its sixth annual 515 Day with a night of reside music, household actions and its largest meals truck lineup but.

The occasion runs from 4 p.m. to eight p.m., Friday, May 15 (5/15), as a number of downtown blocks will near make room for actions, distributors and a Food Truck Showdown.

Main Street itself will keep open, and lots of outlets will function later than regular with 515‑themed specials.

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Ronnie Olson, Ames Main Street’s government director, stated organizers have been excited to return to a one‑day format.

“It’s Friday, May 15, putting everything all together,” she informed the Ames Tribune.

Live music and 515 Day’s largest meals truck showdown

Local band Foxpin will take the stage at 4 p.m. on the nook of Fifth Street and Douglas Avenue. Olson stated selecting an area act was essential.

“We have so much local talent to choose from, so it’s nice to have Ames represented,” she stated.

This 12 months’s Food Truck Showdown will function 21 distributors — essentially the most within the occasion’s historical past. Options vary from tacos and gyros to loaded potatoes, Italian ice, Indian fusion ice cream and nonalcoholic soiled sodas.

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Guests can buy meals from any truck and vote for his or her favourite utilizing a QR code. Voting closes at 7 p.m., with the winner introduced at 7:30.

Last 12 months’s champion was Best Spudz, identified for its loaded baked potatoes. Local favourite Carlos Quesadillas has been well-liked in previous years.

“Ames has such a diverse culture of food, so it’ll really showcase the whole community,” Olson stated.

A beer backyard that includes Torrent Brewing Company and home choices can even be supplied on Friday.

Free household actions all through the Main Street district

The Family Fun Zone, positioned off Douglas between Main and Fifth, will embrace inflatables, an impediment course, a mega slide, Skee‑Ball, Wandering Greens miniature golf, face portray from Joyful Colorz and balloon artwork from Becca the Balloon Lady.

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Olson stated all actions are free, because of occasion sponsors.

“Everything is complimentary,” Olson stated. “This has been one of the best sponsored years of 515 Day.”

Olson emphasised that the celebration is designed to be welcoming for all ages.

“You don’t have to separate adults and kids. It’s all inclusive,” she stated.

Who can be competing within the Ames Food Truck Showdown?

• Taqueria y antojitos la chatita

Ronna Faaborg covers enterprise and the humanities for the Ames Tribune. Reach her at rfaaborg@usatodayco.com.