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New England's largest food truck park, Congdon’s After Dark, will kick off its eighth season on Thursday, May 23rd with a new food truck lineup and even more live music and Maine craft beer. Congdon’s After Dark is an outdoor food truck park located next to Congdon's Doughnuts in Wells, ME.  The park hosts 8-10 food trucks each night Thursday through Sunday until July, when the park will open daily until Labor Day. The park opened with three food trucks in 2017 and has grown each season, quickly becoming one of the Seacoast area's favorite dining experiences. "We're proud to have grown into a summer tradition for so many visitors and local residents," said Gary Leech, who owns Congdon's with his wife Diane. "We always try to improve the park and have a lot of great things in store this year." There are 27 trucks on the schedule for 2024. The park will feature more live music, balloon artists, several new food trucks, a new truck configuration, a balloon artist, and several other exciting features. The park’s Beer Garden will continue to feature its “Maine Menu,” with dozens of rotating craft beers from Maine breweries, including three made with Congdon's doughnuts. Chocolate Cream Doughnut Stout by Barreled Souls Brewing Company, in Saco; Raspberry Jelly Doughnut IPA and Honey Dip Blonde by Mast Landing Brewing Company, in Westbrook. The park's weekly fundraisers, Tithing Tuesdays, will begin July 2nd, helping a new nonprofit organization each week.  The park will host free car shows each Monday beginning July 1st. The park is open 4-8 p.m. with some trucks staying open later. Free parking is available on site.  Pets are welcome on leashes. The food truck lineup changes each night and includes vegan and gluten-free options. The schedule is available at www.cadfoodtrucks.com. Below are food trucks scheduled to join the park in 2024 (* new this year): BBQ Betty's Smokehouse Boogalow's Island BBQ Bubba Frye's On The Fly CAD Beer Garden Cheese The Day Chef Koz's Crescent City Kitchen Congdon's Too (formerly Sugar Shack) Coppa Magica Crepe Elizabeth Crispy Gai* El Rodeo Go Fahrenheit 225 Falafel Mafia* Fred’s Fried Dough* Gotta Be Frank Gourmet Hattapon’s Thai Kitchen Hoss & Mary's Knew Potato Caboose MacDaddy's Seafood & Tots Maddie's Acai Bowls Momma Baldacci’s* Park Pizza Seacoast Street Eats Terra Firma Food Truck* The Rollin Rooster Vy Banh Mi* What-A-Wrap ------------------ For more information, email adam@congdons.com

Congdon’s After Dark will give free doughnuts to all first responders and medical personnel during Memorial Day weekend as the popular food truck park kicks off its fifth season of operation. New England’s first daily food truck park – located on Route One in Wells, ME – will open for its fifth season on Thursday, May 27th at 4 p.m. The park, located outside Congdon’s Doughnuts Family Restaurant & Bakery, hosts up to 10 food trucks in the evenings from late-May until early-October. Every guest who identifies themselves as a first responder or medical professional at Congdon’s Sugar Shack food truck will receive a free doughnut. Congdon’s Owner Gary Leech said this is a way to say thank you to the frontline workers who have helped lead the country out of the pandemic. “When you think of the bravery and selflessness of these people, it’s just inspiring,” said Leech. “There are so many other groups who did so much, but we thought it was important to start with the people who kept us safe during all of this craziness.” The park’s 2020 opening was delayed because of the pandemic, but it reopened in mid-June with a new layout and social distancing measures. Many of the same measures will remain in place in 2021 to ensure guests feel comfortable, according to Leech. One change is that, based on guidance from the CDC and state of Maine, guests will be allowed to enjoy the park without wearing masks if they choose. Leech said Congdon’s After Dark staff will continue to wear masks initially. Guests will also have to continue to use masks when indoors, including the beer garden and bathroom facilities. “Between the park and restaurant property, we’ve got several acres where people can spread out so everyone will be able to stay safe and feel comfortable,” said Leech. “Many people are only comfortable with outdoor dining, so we’re excited to be able to provide it again.” More than 25 food trucks are scheduled to join the park for the 2021 season. Many will be familiar to returning guests, while there are several new trucks too, including Portland-based BOG’s Bakery, serving unique gourmet toast, and Roll Call, featuring roast beef aujus sandwiches. Other trucks will include seafood, burgers, French fries, Brazilian, Italian, empanadas, crepes, barbecue, pizza, wraps/salads, Jamaican, Mexican, Vietnamese, Cajun/creole, and more. Leech said trucks rotate on an ongoing basis so the lineup is different every night. The park’s Beer Garden will continue to feature its “Maine Menu” with more than 30 beers from Maine breweries. Two Maine breweries make beers with Congdon’s doughnut in them. Barreled Souls Brewing Company in Saco makes three stouts with Congdon’s apple, blueberry, and maple bacon fritters. Mast Landing Brewing Company in Westbrook will be making Honey Dip Blonde this year – a blonde ale made with Congdon’s famous honey dip doughnuts. “We’re so happy to be partnering with these incredible breweries,” said Leech. “They are two of the best Maine has to offer [...]

Congdon’s was recently featured prominently in Food & Wine’s list of “Best Doughnuts in Every State”!  Author David Landsel begins the article describing his experience staying next door to us and enjoying our doughnuts! “Since the 1950s, Congdon’s Doughnuts has been a fixture in the town of Wells, which isn’t so much a town as it is a collection of classic New England beach sprawl, spread out along the Post Road between quaint Ogunquit and the stiff upper lip Kennebunks. When I moved in, I had a perfect view of the drive-thru, by now the preferred pick-up method. I quickly learned the schedule, and Thursdays became my favorite day of the week. I’d wake up while it was still dark out to see the cars waiting patiently, quietly, on the first morning back after the shop’s weekly break. At a time when Maine was finally experiencing the full weight of the pandemic, something so benign as a line of cars at a drive-through, viewed from the windows of my four-season porch, felt communal, shared.” “Cake doughnuts are a New England specialty. From the New York City suburbs of Connecticut to deep into Maine, this is one of those parts of the country where you’ll stumble upon a fine example of the genre without exerting even the slightest effort. Not that you have to feel your way around in the dark—there are three standouts waiting for you, just minutes from the Maine Turnpike, starting right when you enter the state. Begin with one of the lightest chocolate cake doughnuts you’ll ever try (but with enough crispy bits on the outside, for textural pleasure) at Congdon’s Doughnuts in Wells, just up from the beach. Come summer, the parking lot brims with families that will often have traveled across at least one or two state lines, sometimes more, to get here.” It’s a great, well written article about lots of quality bakeries throughout the country. We appreciate being included and all of the wonderful comments from Congdon’s fans throughout the country.  You can read the whole thing here: https://www.foodandwine.com/travel/restaurants/best-doughnuts-every-state