Taste of Cove food truck park set to open Saturday in downtown Copperas Cove

x`

By LYNETTE SOWELL 
Cove Leader-Press 

A long-awaited new business build in downtown Copperas Cove will be celebrated on Saturday, March 26, with the grand opening and ribbon cutting for the Taste of Cove Food Truck Park on Avenue E.
Taste of Cove, owned by Tasha Roberts, will be home to as many as six food trucks, according to Roberts. She and her family and other supporters celebrated last November with a groundbreaking ceremony, after many months of preparation work and some delays. Initially the capacity had been for eight trucks, but after a couple of trucks decided not to come, Roberts said that six would be a great number to have. She is actively seeking more trucks to fill the vacancies and she said the Copperas cove Chamber of Commerce has been getting the word out as well.
Taste of Cove’s anchor truck is Sporty Dogg, which features hotdogs with a variety of fixings and is owned by Roberts. In addition to Sporty Dogg, Hits the Spot (German), Little Baghdad (Middle Eastern), Blessed Hands (Caribbean), as well as Wagon Wheel Café are scheduled to be onsite regulars of the park. 
Roberts is looking for junior or senior students who need volunteer hours, to come and pitch in at Saturday’s grand opening. Not only will the students receive volunteer hour credit, but they will be entered into a drawing, for which one of them will win a scholarship of $150.  
“I have two girls who are in college now, and I know how it is getting volunteer hours, when you’re trying to get scholarships. This is a great way to help the kids out and support our city as well,” said Roberts. 
Those interested in volunteering should contact Roberts at 254-542-3521 or 254-258-1259, or email tasteofcove@yahoo.com.
The park opens at noon, with the ribbon cutting as well as a reading of the City of Copperas Cove’s 143rd birthday proclamation at 1 p.m., followed by birthday cake. 
Festivities will also include a bounce house for kids, DJ Five providing musical entertainment, with appearances by Mickey and Minnie Mouse, along with Fester, the rabbit mascot for Copperas Cove’s Rabbit Fest. Mickey and Minnie headbands will be given away while supplies last. Roberts also has plans for games on site such a cornhole, football toss, giant checkers and giant tic-tac-toe. 
The hope is that the park will breathe some new life into downtown Copperas Cove, with the downtown area also to be the site of the upcoming Farmer’s Market, which will run on Fridays starting in May through October. 
The park is yet another of the businesswoman’s ventures, as is the consignment shop Babies ‘N Things, also on Avenue E one block away, which will celebrate 11 years in business this year.
One thing that patrons likely will not miss is the loud sound of generators, because each truck will have onsite electric. 
Trucks have onsite water and grease traps. Patrons will also have access to restrooms at the park.