To reach Hit the Spot Kitchen, diners must traverse off State Route 2 into the Bowman Center in Spotsylvania County and locate 3318 Bourbon Street before they can indulge in the Puerto Rican-Caribbean fusion cuisine found within.
Owners Will and Maria Negron know that their restaurant is tucked away in the industrial complex, so they take every opportunity to get out and showcase their offerings. Hit the Spot Kitchen was one of 30 food truck vendors on hand on a scorching Saturday afternoon for the inaugural Taste of Spotsylvania event held at the Spotsylvania Towne Centre.
A total of 106 vendors were present for what organizer Karen Joyner hopes will become a bi-annual event.
“There’s been a lot of networking between vendors, and the best has yet to come,” said Joyner, the president of Kojam Productions, which hosted the event. “This place can house great events, and I’m excited to work with the Towne Centre to get it done.”
Vendors and guests had to battle the heat, but Will Negron said it was encouraging to see different cultures come together. His rice bowls and empanadas were his most popular dish on Saturday.
Maria Negron, co-owner of Hit the Spot Kitchen, puts the finishing touches on the popular rice bowl dish at Taste of Spotsylvania Saturday at Spotsylvania Towne Centre (photos by Taft Coghill Jr.).
Maria Negron noted that Hit the Spot offers vegan dishes, as well.
“We saw there was a Taste of Spotsylvania and we’re part of Spotsylvania,” Will Negron said. “We’ve done a few events, so we just wanted people to taste our food. “It’s a nice feeling seeing so many people come up to the table, because we have a whole world of food. To see different flavor profiles out here, it’s great.”
There were Asian, Hispanic, BBQ and other food trucks on hand, as well as ice cream trucks and shaved ice.
Joy’s Delightz — an in-home bakery located at 9626 Hazelbrook Court — sold cookies, mini bundt cakes and various flavors of lemonade.
The business was started by two young sisters, Joy and Madison Ross, in December 2022.
Their mother, Jackie Ross, said Taste of Spotsylvania offered them an opportunity to reach out to customers.
“As we are a new business, we continue to try to get our name out there and get connected with the community, so that they know we exist,” Jackie Ross said.
In addition to the food trucks and other vendors, there was a DJ, bounce house, balloon twisting, face painting and three performances by School of Rock.
There was a bounce house and other children’s activities at the inaugural Taste of Spotsylvania event on Saturday at Spotsylvania Towne Centre.
Joyner said one of the goals of Taste of Spotsylvania is to provide a boost in recognition for Fredericksburg-area businesses. Kojam joined the Fredericksburg Chamber of Commerce and sent out email blasts to area establishments to encourage participation.
Kojam promotes similar events in Tyson’s Corner, Springfield and Manassas. The next local happening will be a fall festival on Oct. 12 at the Towne Centre.
“Obviously, we had hot weather today, so it was a little rough,” Joyner said. “But we had a lot of great support from the community, and we look forward to doing it again.”
