Need something to do this weekend? Here are five food trucks to try at the Vancouver Folk Music Festival, taking place from July 15 to 17 at Jericho Beach Park.

Chickpea

Chickpea began spreading the “chickpeace” across Vancouver only three months ago, but the Israeli-inspired eatery has already gained a loyal following. The truck specializes in “vegetarian comfort food with a Mediterranean twist” and serves everything from vegan-friendly pashoot (a combo of cucumbers, carrots, and greens topped with chickpeas and tahini) to crisp, freshly fried falafel to shakshuka, a traditional Jewish dish composed of a sunny-side-up egg, tomato sauce, jalapeño, feta cheese, and a mix of Mediterranean spices. Chickpea’s three-step “chickpea experience” menu ensures variety in every order, too. Try the pashoot as part of an organic hummus plate or the falafel in a pita, where the fritters are joined by hummus, a fiery Schug sauce, and fresh veggies tossed in a light olive oil-lemon dressing. Wash it all down with a mint lemonade or, “better than Kombucha” (we’ll let you folk-festgoers be the judge of this one), organic kefir brew. 

The Schnitzel Shack

This is not schnitzel like your oma used to make it—but that's what makes it so cool. The folks at the Shack have put their own nutritious, takeout-friendly twist on the famous German dish. For its signature offering, the Schnitzel Madley, you can choose from pork, chicken, or veggie versions of the lightly fried, breaded specialty, served up in a pita with delicious tangy slaw and greens. We like it topped with generous amounts of hot sauce and classic mustard. The resulting flavour explosion falls somewhere between Euro-festive, American comfort, and West Coast wholesome. For another taste of the old country, try the Shack’s sausage, either old-school on a bun or stacked on top of a healthy quinoa/pasta salad. These things fill you up, to the point where all you'll be left wanting is an oompah band to go along with it—but any of the bands from around the world on the folk-fest stages should do the trick.

Johnny’s Pops

We haven’t been this excited about desserts on sticks since we were six years old, when a trip to the beach meant we could be slurping on a tongue-tinging Rocket or spiralling Cyclone before sunset. Now good ol’ Johnny keeps the nostalgia alive by delivering his goods in a trusty bicycle-cart, though the funky flavours he’s peddling are anything but familiar. Think elderflower rhubarb, salted milk chocolate, vegan raspberry coconut, and—our favourite—avocado lime, all of which are handcrafted in Vancouver using natural, locally sourced ingredients. The pops are fresh, never too sweet, and, in our humble opinion, tasty enough to turn you off Popsicle’s monopoly in the frozen-treat aisle for life. (Yeah, we said it.) Look for the tall, bespectacled man, fire-engine-red cart, and a lineup that snakes to the next nearest food truck. At $3.50 each or three for $10, these pops are a splurge, but worth every penny.

The Kaboom Box

Good things come in small packages—apart from takeout from the Kaboom Box. Offering very generous portions for around $10, this food truck makes sure you get plenty of “boom” for your buck. Popular favourites include the “world-famous” hot-smoked salmon sandwich, flamed to order on the cart, and the oyster po’boy, a messy combo of panko-breaded oysters and housemade tartar sauce and slaw. Or, if you’re after something off the ’eaten track, we fully endorse the house salad with salmon fillet. Kaboom also cooks up its eclectic menu with ethical Oceanwise-certified fish and meat, and uses only biodegradablepackaging. Although the truck is normally parked downtown, Jericho Beach’s folk fest offers a rare opportunity to experience one of the city’s best seafood-themed carts in its natural habitat.

Culver City Salads

Whoever said salads are boring has yet to get their hands on one of Culver City Salads’ plates. The ladies behind the plant-based and gluten-free truck regularly crank out an assortment of vibrant, protein-packed salads that are made to satisfy even the purest of meat-loving peeps. Forget stale croutons and a sea of limp, indistinguishable greens, and dig into fare like fresh soba noodles, black lentils, cherry tomatoes, shredded beets, pumpkin seeds, and avocado, all topped with your choice of made-from-scratch dressings like creamy chipotle, lemon-chia, and fennel-and-basil. Because Culver gets its produce from local farmers, the menu rotates daily. But consider yourself lucky if you stumble upon the solar-powered green truck—dubbed “Granny Smith”—when it’s serving up its signature quinoa salad: a medley of red and white grains, chickpeas, yams, guacamole, and sunflower seeds on a bed of leafy greens that will leave you feeling energized—no greasy carb-coma here—as you plan the quickest route from Martin Harley to Twin Bandit.