The Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society with host two food truck events this summer, with the first scheduled for Thursday, July 16 and a second event on Aug. 13.

Noah Webster House patio. Courtesy photo

By Ronni Newton

The Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society recently reopened its South Main Street museum to the public, and is preparing to host two food truck events this summer featuring family-friendly fare and ice cream treats – as well as draft beer and signature cocktails for the over-21 crowd.

The outdoor dining events will also serve as a fundraiser for the Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society as well as a way to show off the museum’s new patio.

“The museum resumed its public hours on July 6 and we are thrilled to host our first event since March on Thursday, July 16,” Executive Director Jennifer DiCola Matos said. “We’re opening up the museum’s grounds for a safe, outdoor event with food trucks. We’ll have lots of seating spread out and we’ll debut the museum’s new patio in the rear of the property, which was completed last fall.”

The July 16 event will feature the West Hartford-based Iron & Grain food truck as well as Fuego Picante.

Iron & Grain, which operates out of a repurposed 1959 Chevy Viking, has become a fixture at farmers markets and event throughout the state. They are known for the “black and blue burgers” and street corn prepared on their wood-fired grill.

Iron & Grain will also be serving draft beer and signature cocktails for guests over age 21 (valid ID required).

The Hartford-based Fuego Picante food truck serves authentic Mexican food in large portions – staples that include tacos, burritos, quesadillas, tostadas, and tortas. They also serve classic Mexican dishes like carne asada, chimichangas, and savory al pastor served alongside sweet pineapple chunks. Fuego Picante also offers freshly-fried churros as a dessert treat.

Iron & Grain will return for the Aug. 13 event, and will be joined by Disco Forno, a local food truck that features wood-fired Neapolitan pizza made from fresh premium products cooked in a custom 800-plus degree oven, and Italian desserts.

Disco Forno, which was established in 2019, has been traveling throughout New England to farmers markets and other events. They recently opened a brick and mortar location at the new Parkville Market in Hartford.

Ice cream will also be available for dessert both nights – special treats being sold by the museum as an additional fundraiser.

“We want to give our community an opportunity to enjoy a family-friendly al fresco dinner on our grounds,” Matos said.

Guests enjoying a previous food truck night at the museum. Courtesy photo

Food and drink is for sale, but while there is no charge to attend the event itself, there is a suggested donation of $5 per person (for ages 10 and up) to help raise funds for the museum. A portion of the food sales will also be donated to the museum to support its educational mission.

“Our museum has been hard hit by COVID-19. We’ve been forced to close our doors since March 16 and even now that we’re open, we’re struggling because most of our regular programming can’t happen with COVID-19 restrictions,” said Matos. “This outdoor event is a good start for us.”

The food truck events will be held on Thursday, July 16 and Thursday, Aug. 13, from 5-8 p.m., at the Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society, 227 South Main St., West Hartford.

In addition to patio seating, tables will be set up in the parking lot, spread out to allow distance between groups.

Preregistration is recommended at noahwebster.yapsody.com as attendance will be limited as recommended by the state to maximize safety. The wearing of masks will be recommended while not eating and when 6 feet of physical distancing cannot be maintained.

For more information about the Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society, visit www.noahwebsterhouse.org or call 860-521-5362.

Like what you see here? Click here to subscribe to We-Ha’s newsletter so you’ll always be in the know about what’s happening in West Hartford! Click the blue button below to become a supporter of We-Ha.com and our efforts to continue producing quality journalism.