REVIEW: Freedom FEASTival brings food trucks top of mind for easy summer dining

In its second year, the Freedom FEASTival ushered in the outdoor dining season with a caravan of food trucks. The event was a fundraiser for the week-long Freedom Festival, which runs June 26 to July 4.

Diners got a chance to find favorite dishes and sample 14 food trucks in one place, complete with activities for the whole family and a day of musical performances in Cedar Rapids’ Greene Square Park.

If you missed out on the event, don’t worry. Many of these trucks will be available around Cedar Rapids throughout the summer at farmer’s markets and summer festivals.

Here’s what we tried at this year’s Freedom FEASTival.

1. Queso Con Ajo Pupusa from Los Ortega’s Pupuseria

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This cheese pupusa with garlic was the day’s special at Los Ortega’s Pupuseria, the only pupuseria in Cedar Rapids. Fresh off the grill, the puffy, thick corn tortilla and warm gooey cheese was welcome on a windy spring day. Pickled cabbage with carrots and a mild salsa was served on the side, but don’t let it stay there.

The pickled vegetables are a perfect crunchy topping for the tender tortillas. I wouldn’t normally gravitate towards pickled cabbage, but by the time I finished this pupusa, I wished there was more cabbage to enjoy.

The garlic was light and gave room to enjoy the other flavors, like the kick from the salsa.

These pupusas are big, and you would be missing out if you didn’t try every combination of pupusa, salsa and pickled cabbage. Yes, even just the pickled cabbage and salsa together is delicious.

While this may not be the best dish to enjoy while walking around a festival — applying salsa and pickled vegetables on the go sounds like a recipe for dropping precious morsels — this is a dish that is worth sitting down and savoring.

2. Cake Batter Funfetti Cookie from Lotta Love Cookies

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I tried not to say it, but it still slipped out of my mouth as I approached Lotta Love Cookies, “Wow! Those are some big cookies.”

How big are these cookies? The Cake Batter Funfetti cookie was on the smaller side of Lotta Love’s offerings. Still, it was bigger than the palm of my hand with my fingers stretched as wide as they go. If you were wondering, the largest one, the Toffee Cowboy Cookie, was as big as my head.

Choosing your cookie is an almost impossible decision. I was enticed by the blueberry lemon Violet Beauregarde, but opted for Cake Batter Funfetti instead.

The flavor of cake batter shines through this dense-yet-soft cookie. Vanilla is a flavor that I didn’t appreciate much as a kid, but as an adult, it’s a simple pleasure.

Sprinkles are another simple pleasure that add texture and dimension to the cookie. Plus, the rainbow colors remind me of the days making Funfetti cake with my mom as a kid. Yes, the nostalgia comes free with your purchase.

Don’t let my description fool you. This “smaller” cookie could comfortably feed dessert to a family of four. I could see these cookies being a great snack for a hike. Break off a piece, pass it down and continue your exploration of nature.

3. Crab Meat Rangoons from The Street Food Fighter

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This year’s Freedom FEASTival fell on a cloudy, windy day, but I forgave Mother Nature when I took my first bite of freshly made Crab Meat Rangoons hot out of the fryer. These crispy pockets have the crunch you want when you bite into a rangoon, and they are overflowing with a sweet combination of cream cheese and sizable pieces of imitation crab.

Portability is so important when it comes to street food, and The Street Food Fighter has this down to a T. You could easily enjoy these rangoons while walking through a busy Cedar Rapids Farmer’s Market.

This dish is not complete without dipping the rangoons into the sweet and sour sauce. Sauces complete dishes, and the sweet and sour sauce The Street Food Fighter pairs with these Crab Meat Rangoons is a tangy compliment to the comforting creamy filling. It’s not too sticky, not too watery and packs a powerful flavor that will have you taking small bites so you have enough rangoon to dip for just. one. more. time.

4. Dan’s Signature Drink from Wilder Thirst

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There were too many enticing options to choose from at Wilder Thirst, formerly known as Fizz Wagon Dreamsoda. With the chilly temperatures, I almost opted for the Turtle Hot Chocolate, a combination of my favorite ice cream treat and the comforting, warm beverage I still order as an adult (no, Gazette colleagues, it’s not a hot coffee).

But when I laid my eyes on the center of the menu, Dan’s Signature caught my eye. The iced drink is made up of watermelon chamoy and tajin, sparkling water, watermelon, peach, orange juice and “pink energy.”

The Wilder Thirst team said pink energy is a plant based energy concentrate made from the Arabica coffee bean, lotus leaf and flower extract and a hint of passion fruit.

Last year, my colleague Elijah Decious reviewed the sugar high-inducing“Ten 4 Good Buddy” from this same vendor pre-rebrand.

Searching for a less sugary option? Look this way. This drink layered the watermelon and fruity flavors, and overall, it was a lightly flavored drink. Stir it up for more potent sips, but don’t expect a kick to come from the tajin mixed into the drink — you’ll have to move to the rim for that.

The rim was coated with watermelon chamoy and more tajin. If you aren’t familiar with chamoy, it’s a savory paste. Here’s how I interpreted the flavor: Think of those fruit leather snacks you’ll find in the health food aisle of your favorite grocery store. Now imagine them pureed into a tacky, spreadable paste. The watermelon chamoy was fruity, salty and topped with tajin, providing a flavorful burst that can be washed down with the light, melon-y drink.

5. Street Corn from Myson’s Tacos

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Some prefer their street corn on the cob. I prefer to enjoy it in a dish with a fork. Either way, it’s the perfect light summer snack. This street corn was a tasty reminder that sweet corn season is just around the corner.

Cheese lovers will rejoice at the dollop of queso and dusting of cotija cheese greeting you as you dive into the dish. A pinch of cilantro crowning the dish lightened the heaviness of the cheeses. I recommend mixing the corn and cheeses together, that way you don’t spill a single crumble while digging for the juicy kernels of sweet corn waiting for you at the bottom.

At first, I mistakenly ordered a “street corn taco.” When they told me that the street corn didn’t come as a taco, a cook interjected, saying that I might be on to something. I hope Myson’s considers the idea. Blending this beloved dish with their tacos could be a match made in heaven — or at least Greene Square Park.

The Gazette is a media sponsor of the 2025 Cedar Rapids Freedom Festival.

Comments: bailey.cichon@thegazette.com