Singing, hotdogs, fries, and smiles. All of these were found at Truck Fest 2025, now renamed from Brat Fest, held on Sept. 5, hosted at Carl Sandburg Middle School.
The festival, which has been going on since 1970, included karaoke, fun games and activities, like soccer and face-painting, and the ever so famous Bry the Fry Guy, along with some new faces to add to the festivities and fun, such as Jimano’s Pizza and Bob’s Classic Kettle Corn. Additionally, the Carl Sandburg Middle School band came out and performed covers of popular pop songs, such as “Shake It Off” by Taylor Swift and “Happy” by Pharrell Williams.
Dr. Andrew Vondran, Carl Sandburg Middle School’s new principal, stated that it was “cool to see the community come together.” He explained that being able to see the Mundelein community coming together for a single festival was a joy to see. This was a consistent theme among people who were interviewed. Everyone unanimously agreed that the community really makes the community.
“I like seeing people enjoy themselves,” Freshman Joshua Pacheco, CSMS alumnus, said during the festival. People were participating in games such as soccer, cornhole and a taekwondo log-kicking challenge, as well as spinning wheels for prizes and getting their faces painted.
Hunter Blandford, an eighth grader, expressed his love for being able to hang out with friends at the festival. Blanford, a CSMS band member, said that “playing the music [was fun].” The music amassed a large audience of parents and students alike, cheering on the band as they played.
Despite the massive successes and things the festival has done exceptionally well, there are shortcomings. Ms. Katie Gandolf, an MHS teacher who was out promoting extracurricular activities, stated that one thing that could be done better is advertising. Despite there being tons of people at the festival, it was people that were either students of the school district, alumni of the schools, and families.
Dr. Vondran stated that Brat Fest “would be better with signs.” He argued that it was hard to recognize who or what was stationed at the festival. People complained of not being able to see where certain booths were located. For example, people were struggling to find the Jimano’s booth and Bry the Fry Guy. Another common complaint was that things were lavish.
“Everything is too expensive,” Eighth Grader Nehemiah Haynes explained. Adrian Suslow, another CSMS alumnus, expressed similar sentiments. The prices were, in fact, pretty steep, with a slice of pizza costing $5 and a bag of popcorn costing $10.
This year, Brat Fest went by a new name: Tiger Truck Fest. Dr. Vondran loves the new name. “I want it to be more inclusive,” he said. He further explained that the name Brat Fest would turn people away because people may not want to eat brats and hotdogs. If it were renamed to something like Tiger Truck Fest, he argues, people would be more enticed to come by and visit it.
However, a roaring majority of people do not agree with this take.
Giselle Travis, an eighth grader, argued that Brat Fest rolled off the tongue much easier. Many more people agreed with that take. It’s understandable, with it being the name since its inception.
Throughout the positive, the negative, and the controversial, Brat Fest was wildly successful as it was years prior. We can only wait and see what they do next year to be with the community and showcase what Mundelein is made of.