"How To Parker Days”: all of summer in a weekend

Thursday night's kick-off concert featured country singer Trace Adkins as the headliner. Photo by Erika Siebring. 

      My family’s been to Disney World a few times, and there’s one major thing we’ve learned along the way: in order to enjoy the parks to the fullest, you need to have a plan; a plan of what FastPasses to get, what rides to hit first and where to get dinner reservations. That way you have the best experience possible and don’t miss out on anything. I myself have dubbed this plan of action, “How to Disney.”

      Similarly, the Parker Days festival is Parker’s largest summer event, running for over 40 years now and spanning four days, nearly 300 vendors and thousands of guests. Shutting down the entirety of downtown, this menagerie includes a main carnival and kids carnival, three performance stages, beer and wine gardens and a whole fleet of food trucks. In a nutshell, Parker Days is a hometown version of Disney World, put on by the Parker Chamber of Commerce.

     Thus, I now present to you “How to Parker Days.”

      First thing’s first: parking. Just like the farmer’s market downtown, there will be no driving allowed on the downtown strip or by the main carnival area. The residential neighborhood spots are also unavailable. If possible, I highly recommend walking, but if that isn’t possible, free parking is available across Parker Road in a mini shopping center, or in the Staples and Best Buy parking lots on S Pikes Peak Drive.

      Now, let’s talk money. The only things that’ll cost you are the carnival tickets and food. Carnival tickets are $1 each -- a single ride or activity can cost up to three or four tickets -- but carnival passes can be purchased on-site for $30 for a day, or $60 for all four days. It’s best to come with both a credit card and cash, as tickets can typically be bought with a card, but the majority of vendors and food trucks require cash.

      Speaking of food, there are the typical carnival eats, including popcorn, lemonade, cotton candy, burgers and funnel cakes, but also the outrageous, like deep-fried oreos and cheesecake on a stick. However, for those that want to try something new, there’s the Food Truck Alley, providing several different types of cuisine, from Jamaican to Ethiopian and Greek.

      This year will be the weChef Kitchen food truck’s second time at Parker Days, and they’ll be serving from Friday to Sunday. According to Amber Prom, co-owner of weChef Kitchen, her chef husband’s desire for creative freedom led to the birth of the food truck, which was more manageable for them than a full-on restaurant.

     “My husband's from Cambodia. His family came over to America, so he was raised primarily Cambodian,” Prom said. “He actually cooks Asian-fusion food, so he takes his Asian roots and applies that to a lot of the more non-traditional Asian food.”

       weChef Kitchen will be serving their full menu, minutes drinks, this weekend, including Asian-inspired street tacos and nachos.

       The Comforts of Home food truck will also be returning to Parker Days this year. Specializing in sandwiches, soups and salads, this food truck was initially born out of a need to carry around catering supplies. RaeAnn DeCuio of The Comforts of Home explained how they will be downtown this weekend from Friday to Sunday.

       “We have our popular Cubano sandwich with thick cut bacon and a house-made mustard aioli, and our Turkey and apple with a house-made cranberry jalapeno jelly to name a couple of our paninis,” DeCuio said. “We will be serving up our Flavor Burst soft serve ice cream as well.”

       To stay alive in the heat, you’ll have to be drinking something cold, and the festival does provide restrooms. Port-a-Potties are typically available on the west end of Mainstreet, close to the main stage. But, you may not feel like walking all the way over there. Local businesses usually won’t have a public restroom, but trust me, buying even an ounce of Swirls Frozen Yogurt is worth it for a clean bathroom.

     The Parker Days schedule varies from the weekdays to the weekends, but it's a great time every year and the true highlight of the summer season.