Beaming with congratulatory pride, Ashley E. Jones stepped across the grass carrying a trophy topped with a trio of stars, walking toward a red food truck emblazoned with the words 507 Grill. DJ Don King from iHeartRadio had just announced over the speaker that the Laurel, Mississippi, business’ brisket-covered french fries had just won first place for best main dish at the Laurel Food Truck Festival held at the South Mississippi Fairgrounds on Saturday, Sept. 12.
As she approached, staff members spilled out of the mobile kitchen to accept the award. One young lady, recognizing Jones, ran toward her and gushed, “Ashley! I love your content. I follow you on TikTok.”
“Oh my goodness, thank you!” Jones, who served as one of the event’s three judges that day, appreciatively replied.
Handing the trophy to 507 Grill’s owner Carlos Guerra, Jones and the truck’s crew posed for a photo. The woman who had spoken with Jones had hopped back inside, so Jones congratulated the truck again and turned to return to the judges’ tent when her fan called out to her, phone now in hand.
“Can I get a selfie with you?”
Jones didn’t miss a beat: “Absolutely!”
Interactions like this further cement Jones’ belief that community events like the Laurel Food Truck Festival are great for fostering connection among Mississippians.
“That really made my day, and I keep coming back to that moment,” she told the Mississippi Free Press.
The social-media influencer’s online presence began two years with restaurant reviews in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, but has since evolved into covering other aspects of Mississippi culture and working with Mississippi companies to promote economic-development opportunities across the state as a member of Leadership Mississippi.
From her own observations, she wasn’t alone in feeling a festive spirit on Saturday.
“The food may have brought everyone through the gate, but it was the sense of community that made people stay and will make them want to come back for years to come,” Jones said.
‘Do Our Part’
Approximately 30 vendors pulled into the South Mississippi Fairgrounds on Saturday, Sept. 12, to sell food, drinks and other food-focused wares from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
This year was the first that Carlos Guerra, the head chef and owner of 507 Grill, attended the Laurel Food Truck Festival as a vendor. He founded his truck three years ago as a side business, serving customers at other Jones County events like the Loblolly Festival, West Jones Elementary School’s fall festival, and a handful of programs at the Lauren Rogers Museum of Art.
While taking home a trophy may be validating, winning wasn’t particularly on Guerra’s mind when he sent his son to bring samples over to the judges’ tent.
“I wasn’t even thinking about winning,” he told the Mississippi Free Press. “We were just participating because that’s something I like to do: putting our stuff out there for people to know our products and the way we treat customers.”
Still, he thanked God for the “amazing experience” and said that this sort of recognition is helpful to 507 Grill as a small business. For those interested in trying Guerra’s food, the truck will be in Ellisville this coming weekend for a touch-a-truck contest held at Dixie Power, starting at 4 p.m.
Over his three years of business, Guerra has developed strong relationships with his customer base, with many traveling out of their way just to eat his food since 507 Grill is not open year-round.
“We didn’t come here for the festival; we came for the food because we knew you were going to be here,” his regulars have told him.
“This has been a journey that I pray about, (and) it’s been good so far,” Guerra said.
“We always try to take pride in what we do,” he added. “We like to be consistent. I like to be in the kitchen cooking and making sure that every single dish that comes out of there is done properly. Even before we set up, we have between 24 and 30 hours of work put into what we do.”
One of Guerra’s focuses in running his truck is making sure that families are able to afford his food. “That’s something that I’m always concerned about: that people can afford what they buy from us as a food truck,” he said. “Based on that, we try to work around people’s budget and do our part as a community. … It’s not just about making money; it’s about helping people, too.”
While Guerra represented his hometown at the Laurel Food Truck Festival in the main dish category, Snow Boogers from Perkinston, Mississippi, won for dessert. They served the judges an Italian ice treat topped with cheesecake and strawberry drizzle, landing the business, which has a brick-and-mortar store in Stone County, the win.
The event has seen enough success that director Corbin Holifield recently decided to expand it to a twice-a-year function: one event every September and one every March. The first spring food truck festival took place this year, but the next will take place in March 2027, about six months from now, weather permitting.
Take a tour through the 2026 Laurel Food Truck Festival by browsing our gallery below.
Admission into the Laurel Food Truck Festival is $1 per person. For more information, visit the event’s Facebook page.
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