After countless last-minute event cancellations and strict COVID restrictions, the festival was the first big event many of the travelling businesses had attended since 2019 and operators were hopeful it was the sign of a return to normalcy.

Erez Beker, the Sydney-based owner of Dutch Pancakes, said Saturday was the first big event he'd been able to set his stall up at in three years.

"It's very exciting and it definitely feels like things could start to pick up now," he said. "This is the first big event we're doing since 2019 and it is just amazing. We've really been looking forward to it."

Albury resident Christie Hassgall runs the Slinky Seafood Shack with her partner Troy Petersen. She said the recurring restrictions over the past two years have left many food vans with nowhere to sell their products and that the situation has only recently started improving.

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"It has been a really difficult few years especially for food trucks," she said. "We've personally been closed down for most of the last two years so being able to be here is just great for us."

The festival was particularly exciting for the local stall holders who were offered their first chance in years to showcase their business to a significant number of local residents and potential repeat customers.

Leah Anderson, the owner of Wagga Free Range Pork, said she was definitely keen to start rebuilding that network.

"It's been a couple of years since we've been able to do stuff like this which has obviously been a big challenge," she said. "It's really good to be back and doing big events again so we can support the community and establish more connections."

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Many businesses put in extra preparation for the event, securing additional volunteers and ordering more stock, as they correctly predicted Wagga residents to fill the Victory Memorial Gardens after missing out on so many events over the last two years.

The eagerness held by the food stall holders extended right across the park and up onto the stage, where local musician Nathan Lamont was excitedly performing at his first big event since the summer bushfires in early 2019.

He said the return of large-scale events, as well as the recent lifting of restrictions announced by the state government, was huge news for Wagga's hurting music industry.

"Musicians have missed out on a lot of money from gigs getting suddenly cancelled so to be here today is just a great opportunity," Mr Lamont said.

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