Heard on Hurd: food, music, community and more in downtown Edmond

Downtown Edmond will come alive tonight as streets close down for Heard on Hurd, the nation’s largest monthly food truck and music festival. Hosted by Citizens Bank of Edmond, the event happens every third Saturday from March through October and features dozens of food vendors, live performances, local artists and nonprofit partners.

In a recent interview, event organizer Randy Grau shared what attendees can expect, from standout food and drink options to the community organizations involved. Here’s a breakdown of everything you need to know before heading out.

Can you tell us about Heard on Hurd?

Grau: "So we do this every third Saturday of the month, March through October. So starting tonight at 6 o'clock, we close down the streets of Edmond and we have the nation's largest monthly food, truck, and music festival, Heard on Hurd."

What kinds of food trucks will there be?

Grau: "All of your favorites, whether that's pizza, barbecue, burgers, Bondi bowls, whatever it is that you want, you can find it there. Also, we're going to have lots of things to cool you off. So if you want your favorite iced tea, we're going to have it. Fresh-squeezed lemonade, we'll have that too. As it gets cooler in the evening, you want an adult beverage. Our friends from Frenzy Brewery are always there, as well as others. And so we have that, plus lots of things for entertainment. Three local artists are always there performing from 6 p.m. until 10 p.m."

Who does this nonprofit organization benefit?

Grau: "When we started this, this was something that the Citizens Bank of Edmond, which has been in downtown Edmond for 125 years. We wanted to do just to bring life back into the community and the local businesses there. But we also said this is a way that we can help support, and so we have the Edmond Public School Foundation that's always a beneficiary. The Alzheimer's Association will be there. We have our local law enforcement and first responders who are there interacting with families and kids, and lots of other great local community groups that get to come out and talk about their mission."

What's your favorite thing to eat there when going out?

Grau: "So I always start with some samosas from Taste of Africa. That's just my tradition. They're fantastic. So I do that. But I also just like to walk around and smell the different barbecue trucks because you know, when it's not a herd on herd weekend, that's what I'm doing at home, is trying to match them as best that I can. And again, there's always a lot of activity. There are balloon artists for the kids. There's face painting. There's cornhole. There are things like that going on. And people bring out their pets. Of course, they put the little shoes on them. It's going to be a little toasty at first. But we see a lot of dogs. But it is safe and it's fun for the whole family. And again, there's lots of parking in downtown Edmond. So it's really convenient to get in and out as well."