BALDWINSVILLE — The students and booster club of River Rhythms Dance Center in Baldwinsville are organizing their second annual Food Truck Fest for Saturday, Sept. 18. The festival is a fundraiser to offset the dancers’ competition expenses.
“It was very successful last year. We had a lot of people in the community come through and enjoy watching the girls dance,” said Diane Davenport of the RRDC Booster Club. “I think it’s nice for the dance team to get out into the community.”
This year’s Food Truck Fest will feature artists, crafters and vendors as well as performances from River Rhythms dancers.
“We’re having the girls showcase their own choreography, which is very cool,” Davenport said. “We always get to see the girls dance and perform what their teachers have choreographed for them, but this year the older girls are taking it upon themselves to choreograph some routines.”
The booster club and dancers are also planning family-friendly activities such as face painting for the Food Truck Fest.
While the dance team was forced to sit out the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, things improved enough for River Rhythms to perform at the Starpower National Talent Competition in Ocean City, Maryland, back in July.
“It was actually really good. We had a season, so that was half the battle right there,” Davenport said.
Last year, River Rhythms installed plexiglass barriers and HEPA air filters in the studio to reduce the spread of COVID. Unvaccinated dancers are required to wear masks, and parents drop their dancers off instead of staying to watch their kids practice.
COVID safety protocols meant the 2021 season bore little resemblance to the typical dance competition year. Instead of mingling with other teams and watching their competitors perform, each studio performed their dances in a bloc before vacating the venue for the next studio.
“They had it livestreamed, but it’s not the same. It’s like going to a sporting event and not having the other team there,” Davenport said.
For the 2022 season, River Rhythms is looking into attending the World Dance Championships at the Meadowlands in New Jersey, but that will depend on the state of the pandemic next year.
“It’s definitely a bigger stage than you would get competing in just nationals,” Davenport said.
The River Rhythms Dance Center Booster Club Food Truck Fest takes place from 3 to 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 18, at RRDC, located at 6 Lock St. in the village of Baldwinsville. Among the food trucks confirmed are Oompa Loompyas, Limp Lizard, Cluck n Burger with Snak Attack, Ashley Lynn, Skippy’s, and Alibaba Gyro & Taco.
The RRDC Booster Club is also selling potted succulents. For more information, visit facebook.com/rrdcboosterclub or email [email protected].
