The Best Bites of the 2026 Great South Bay Music Festival

By Grace Bonamico

With the amount of work the students and staff of Five Towns College put into the Great South Bay Music Festival each year, it’s only natural to take advantage of short breaks and downtime between radio broadcasts and performances on the FTC Clamshell Bandshell Stage to grab something to eat. Long days on-site call for good food, and with returning favorites alongside several new vendors, the FTC crew had plenty of options throughout the festival.

Great South Bay welcomed back several fan-favorite vendors this year, including Lobster Rolls, where Mass Communication Professor Mike Peters stopped for lunch. “It was definitely a great lobster roll,” he said. “I like that it was made with butter instead of mayo, plus the bun was toasted nicely. One of the best bites of the festival. You know you’re going to drop some cash on a lobster roll, so if you’re ready to invest, it’s well worth it.”

When it came to drinks, two vendors remained staples for the FTC crew: Subtle Tea and Wild Bill’s. Both offered free refills with the purchase of a souvenir cup, making them popular stops throughout the weekend. Whether students were cooling off after a shift at the bandshell or grabbing something before heading back on the air, the two stands saw a steady stream of FTC visitors.

“Subtle Tea is one of the best iced teas I’ve ever had. It’s not like some of the other main store-bought ones that have a bunch of added artificial flavors. The half and half is the best,” said Mass Communication student Adrian Kartalozi.

Even before the festival, many students were already familiar with Wild Bill’s and were excited to see the truck return. “Wild Bill’s was one of my favorite vendors because I was familiar with the brand from having their soda in the Upbeat (FTC’s dining hall), and I believe they gave me the best ‘bang for your buck’ with their free refills for the entire day. I constantly found myself going back to their truck and trying their different flavors,” said Joey Broggy, who attended his first Great South Bay Music Festival this year.

Several first-time vendors also quickly became favorites. One of the biggest hits was Hot Smoke Bacon, where Dean of Student Activities Mike Cavalli and Mass Communication graduate Isabella Escobar each gave the thick-cut bacon a try. “I was a little skeptical about the thick bacon, but honestly it was so amazing. It was crisp, and the caramelization gave a great mix of salty and sweet; absolutely threw any suspicion out the door; it was delicious,” said Escobar, who enjoyed it so much that she went back for a second order before the festival ended, making Hot Smoke Bacon one of the biggest surprise hits among the FTC crew.

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One newcomer that made a strong first impression was Citrus Squeeze and Chill, which served fresh lemonades, citrus-ades and customizable mocktails. The stand quickly became a refreshing stop for students and staff looking to cool off between broadcasts and performances. Mass Communication student Amanda Penny visited the stand on the festival’s opening day. “I really like the lemonade with the strawberry… the people were really nice there, and the vibe was really cool. The people are really personable, and it was definitely worth the purchase.”