Edmond’s Heard on Hurd monthly street party continues to grow in its third year. The event, held every third Saturday from March through October, features four blocks of fun with dozens of food trucks, vendors, live bands and kid-friendly activities. Jill Castilla, president and CEO of Citizens Bank of Edmond, has watched the event grow from a small collection of shops and food trucks to a burgeoning party that hosts as many as 25,000 guests.
“Citizens Bank of Edmond [launched] Heard on Hurd in the fall of 2014. We tested it out on one September evening, and we hoped to have at least 500 people,” Castilla said. “We ended up having over 3,000 in attendance. All the food trucks sold out in an hour. The next time we did it, attendance doubled in size.”
Conceived as a mash-up between the popular H&8th Night Market held in Oklahoma City and other summer concert series around the country, Heard on Hurd has quickly become a community favorite supported by guests and small business owners alike.
“It’s held in an area of Edmond that has always had a rich history of small businesses, community events and just neighbors coming together and having a good time,” Castilla said. “We hoped we would bring some energy back to downtown Edmond.”
The first two events were a success, so the team at Citizens Bank of Edmond — who plan the event gratis — committed to doing a full season. Proceeds from T-shirt sales and craft beer sales are donated to the Edmond Public School Foundation.
“There are only 50 employees at the bank. We plan and put it together all year,” she said. “It really has become a labor of love for our employee team here.”
The event has tripled in size over its short three years. Starting with only 10 or so pop-up shops and food trucks, the streets are now filled with over three dozen shops and almost 40 food trucks. It also features live bands and street performers like cellists, dancers and improv groups. There are plenty of activities for the kids, like face painting, bounce houses, balloon animals and more.
“There are lots of ways to keep the kids engaged, but mostly you’ll see them dancing in front of the stage to the live bands,” Castilla said. “That is probably my favorite part, seeing the kids running and skipping around.”
While there is plenty for the kiddos to do, there is also plenty of shopping for adults, featuring everything from artisanal soaps to boutique clothing items, homemade glass or wood items.
“There are no big chains or franchises here,” Castilla said. “These are storeowners procuring items or making items and selling at the event. Many do not have a brick-and-mortar or even a truck.”
No street party would be complete without a fleet of food trucks, and Heard on Hurd has some of the best in the biz in attendance.
“We have the standbys — really, the godfathers of the food truck world — like The Flying Pig [BBQ], Taste of Soul, Big Truck Tacos,” she said. “But it’s been great to see the food truck community grow.”
Castilla said organizers wanted to keep the craft beer local. They partner with The Patriarch Craft Beer House and Lawn to ensure local beers are highlighted at the event. Plenty of bars and restaurants in the area also will be serving up other brews and cocktails.
The next Heard on Hurd is 6-10 p.m. July 15 at 32 N. Broadway in downtown Edmond. Admission is free. Visit facebook.com/heardonhurd.
Print headline: Hurd that, Edmond’s premier monthly street party is primed for summer.
