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Council approves 8‑week downtown pop‑up food‑truck festival at Hemet Theatre site
Summary
The council approved a temporary use permit for a proposed weekly Saturday evening food‑truck festival near the Hemet Theatre, including a waiver of fees. Organizers plan rotating vendors, entertainment and coordinated use of theater restrooms; downtown businesses were urged to stay open to capture spillover visitors.
The Hemet City Council unanimously approved a temporary use permit for a downtown pop‑up food‑truck festival to run up to eight Saturday evenings at a city‑owned lot adjacent to the Hemet Theatre.
City staff described the proposal as an economic and place‑making pilot that aims to draw additional visitors to downtown Hemet and encourage private investment. The permit covers rotating food trucks (the applicant proposed roughly 15 vendors per event), entertainment and temporary seating in the lot immediately north of the theater; the Hemet Theatre agreed to make restrooms available during events.
Organizer Alexander Epremian described the plan as "an experience" that would rotate vendors weekly and embed live music and family activities. Epremian cited examples of successful food‑truck markets in neighboring cities and said Hemet could host rotating national and regional mobile vendors, naming a few that had expressed interest.
Council questions and conditions Several council members pressed for clarity on parking, pedestrian flow and security. Staff and the organizers said there are more than 2,000 parking spaces within a short walk of the venue and that the festival would be scheduled to overlap with some theater shows so attendees could arrive early or remain after performances. The event hours were presented as 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., with theater doors typically opening before the start of shows.
Council Member Krupa asked that the city notify downtown business owners so they could consider staying open during festival hours; staff said they would coordinate with property owners and merchants to encourage participation. The organizers said they would coordinate with Hemet Public Works and the Police Department on safety plans and add private security or volunteers as needed.
Vote and implementation Council voted 5–0 to adopt the resolution approving the temporary use permit and to waive permit fees for the pilot. Staff said they would report back after the eight‑week pilot with attendance figures, vendor participation and a financial summary to help determine whether to extend or adapt the program.
Ending: The festival is scheduled to launch in the coming weeks as a pilot; staff will return to council with metrics and recommended next steps after the trial period.
