ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — The Nicholas Conservatory and Gardens held the final food truck Tuesday of the summer.

“Cool to trade food and get to eat up, had the trucks and just experience that entire culture in general. You know, we’re all kind of doing the same thing. So it’s a big family for sure,” said Kevyn Kerrivan, Owner of Iron Salamander Food Truck.

There were more than a dozen trucks lined up on the warm evening to close out the year.

“I come from being in restaurants. So jumped into the food truck world, I thought that’d be a little bit more high and tight, but actually, all the food truck owners that I meet are really down to really cool people,” Kerrivan said. “And we all kind of share little tidbits and it’s a really cool culture and it’s fun to be a part of it.”

“It was most successful that there are a lot of great new trucks that have been out here this summer, and we’d like to see a lot of returning trucks, too. So it’s been great for all these small businesses,” said Dan Erwin, the Facility manager at Nicholas Conservatory Gardens.

Food Truck Tuesday has been going on for around five years according to organizers.

“It just so happened that we wanted to go for an outdoor workout today because it was so nice out. And then I said, Oh, today’s Tuesday, and my son looked it up, we didn’t realize that today was the last day. So we got lucky for the food trucks. We’re so happy we made it, Said Aurora and Logan two Rockford Residents enjoying the day.

“I enjoy Food Truck Tuesdays a lot because you see a lot of families. They’re pushing strollers, they’ve got the dog and they’re having picnics out in the park in the gardens. You can’t beat that,” Erwin said.

“I’m really happy we got to be a part of it. And to do this with just we’ve met a lot of food trucks,” Kerrivan said.

“We try to have a good variety, not have trucks competing with each other directly. So we try to try to keep a change up,” Erwin said.

Food Truck Tuesday will be back May 7th.