It's a real family affair for one of the food trucks that will be at Independence Eve in Denver
What's better for a 4th of July party than barbecue? The Hedahl family will be serving up their barbecued pork and chicken for Independence Eve from within their Still Smokin BBQ food truck.
They are one of about a dozen food trucks the Civic Center Conservancy has invited to Civic Center Park for the return of Independence Eve.
Dad (Erik) stays busy cooking all the meat as mom (Cagney) whips up the special sides including a family coleslaw. Even 11-year-old Gunnar is part of the team, taking orders and handling the money.
"I've learned, of course, giving back change. Talking to people is a big part of the job so I'm very social," Gunnar said.
And the business has been around as long as Gunnar.
"We started with the inspiration to get out of the corporate world," Cagney said. "We wanted to start a family food truck together."
Family also inspired the menu. Cagney's grandparents lived in Mississippi and their recipes offered inspiration.
Erik fell in love with barbecue when he was in college in Texas. Now he cooks with the different styles from around the country.
"What is unique about us is we have a lot of a variety," Erik said. "We have sandwiches, tacos, lettuce wraps. We have a chicken and waffle dish using our smoked chicken instead of fried chicken."
After a couple of slow years during the pandemic, the Hedahls are glad to be back in the heart of the city for a big crowd like Independence Eve.
"These are the events we strive for all year. Big events and big crowds," Erik said. "We really just of like the vibe of being in this park when everything's super busy."
Cagney acknowledged the park has also had a rough few years but she loves that's it is back and being used.
"We've been coming to the park forever so I think we've seen it come up and down as it evolves through the city. I think it's a really good snapshot of what's happening in Denver. You can tell how many people are being active and what they care about.
"I love that we have a space that we're allowed to be a little bit vocal. So even though it hasn't been the easiest time to go through, I also feel like it's been necessary. Civic Center's our home and we love it."
