Here’s another reason to visit one of Tacoma’s coolest parks: Tuesday food trucks

A rotating pair of food trucks will park at Dune Peninsula most Tuesday nights from June through August, bringing more variety to the area near Point Defiance Park, Owen Beach and Point Ruston.

From 5-8 p.m., one truck with savory fare and one sweets purveyor will park in the lot near the South Lawn and the park restrooms.

Three of the August dates feature just dinner and no dessert — good thing Ice Cream Social has a Point Ruston shop!

First up on June 7 is Fat Zach’s Pizza, a popular wood-fired pizza company now with three locations in the Puyallup-Sumner area, and Bliss Ice Cream, another local success story with four Puget Sound stores and a mobile unit.

The next week, Boss Mama’s Kitchen — one of the busiest food trucks in Pierce County, known for hefty cheeseburgers — will join Mauka Hawaiian Shave Ice. Starvin Marvin Pizza and its sister truck Starvin Marvin Jr. Hot Dogs will help round out June.

Then in July, the rotation adds BBQ Junkies, an Eatonville-based truck with pulled pork, brisket, mac and cheese with kielbasa and more, and Velvet’s Big Easy, rife with po’boys. VeGo Eatz, a vegan and vegetarian outfit with crunch wraps and bean burgers, will also join a couple times.

The Tuesday event is the second new food-truck event happening in the area this summer. A trio of trucks including VeGo Eatz are stationed at Tollefson Plaza in downtown Tacoma every Wednesday for lunch.

Organizer Lori Johnson, executive director of the Washington State Food Truck Association, hopes families and friends will make plans to have a casual dinner at one of the prettiest outdoor settings around.

“Dune Peninsula on the waterfront is a fantastic place to bring your camp chair or picnic blanket and enjoy terrific food from very small mobile restaurant owners who are still trying to recover from the Covid pandemic,” she said by email.

Her group secured permits with Metro Parks Tacoma and local agencies. Trucks can park in private lots when invited, but aside from a few select locations pre-marked by the city, permits are generally required for such an event.

Rosemary Ponnekanti, spokesperson for Metro Parks, described it as likely the first recurring food truck offering in this location. Last summer, several trucks and other food vendors set up for the Summer Blast Festival organized by the team behind Tacoma Night Market.

Given its proximity to nearby attractions such as the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium and Owen Beach, reopening June 4, she hopes it adds another family-friendly element.

“The addition of food trucks helps families round their day with a picnic,” she said.

“We hope that a rotating variety of unique menus and cuisine types will serve park-goers during the summer season,” added Johnson.

FOOD TRUCKS AT DUNE PENINSULA

▪ Dune Peninsula at Point Defiance Park, 5361 Yacht Club Road, Tacoma

▪ Tuesdays June 7-August 23 (no trucks July 5)

▪ Details: streetfoodfinder.com/duneintacoma

SCHEDULE

▪ June 7: Fat Zach’s Pizza and Bliss Ice Cream

▪ June 14: Boss Mama’s Kitchen and Mauka Hawaiian Shave Ice

▪ June 21: Starvin Marvin Jr. Hot Dogs and Bliss Ice Cream

▪ June 28: Starvin Marvin Pizza and Mauka Shave Ice

▪ July 12: Boss Mama’s Kitchen and Bliss Ice Cream

▪ July 19: Starvin Marvin Hot Dogs and Bliss Ice Cream

▪ July 26: BBQ Junkies and Bliss Ice Cream

▪ August 2: Velvet’s Big Easy and VeGo Eatz

▪ August 9: VeGo Eatz and Bliss Ice Cream

▪ August 16: Starvin Marvin Pizza and Velvet’s Big Easy

▪ August 23: VeGo Eatz and BBQ Junkies