Streator to celebrate annual Pluto Fest, fall food truck festival in City Park

Streator will celebrate the discovery of Pluto by native Clyde Tombaugh with a festival Saturday, Sept. 24, at City Park.

As was the case last year, the festival sponsored by the Streator Hardscrabble Lions Club will be paired with Streatscapes (formerly Streator Walldogs) Food Truck Festival.

Pluto Fest will run from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., featuring a homebrew tasting tent, the farmers market, craft and vendors market and children’s activities.

NASA ambassador Scott Pellican, of La Salle, will be on-hand with information on Pluto and New Horizons spacecraft mission to Pluto and the Kuiper Belt.

The Streator Library will have more information on Pluto, as well as have a make-and-take craft available for children. There will be airbrush tattoos for children and the Streator Fire Department will have its smokehouse.

Pluto souvenirs ranging from T-shirts to wine and beer glasses, as well as mugs from Finefield Pottery will be for sale.

Cody Calkins is scheduled to perform on the Plumb Pavilion stage 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Rays Rockets are scheduled 2 to 6 p.m.

The homebrew tasting tent will feature about eight homebrewers, with the possibility of some more joining Saturday’s event.

The Food Truck Festival will feature The Olive Branch (Greek food), Mr. J’s taco wagon, Gramma Nana’s Kitchen (desserts), Burritoville, Streator’s own Cruisin’ Concessions, Mia Bella’s (pizza), Mammalicious (jerk and curry cuisine), Starved Rock Tropical Sno, Authentic Wood Fired BBQ, Maria’s Pizza (Italian/pizza), among others.

Food trucks will be lined in the parking lot parallel to Hickory Street on the park’s south side from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.