MADISON, Wis.— It's not too late to enjoy Carts in Parks in the state's capital city. 

The program brings food carts to more than 20 parks in and around Madison. Its goal is to get people to try new food, while being out and about in their own neighborhoods. 

"And as we were in COVID and coming into recovery-ish right now. We really saw that people were in their neighborhoods and our community needed new opportunities to get together in a place that was safer and our city parks was where that was happening," Meghan Blake-Horst, the city's street vending coordinator, said. 

The program, which runs through September 9, is in its first year. As it gets underway, Carlos Aguilar said business can be slow some days. But he said he often blames the recent rainy weather. Aguilar works at Caracas Arepas, a Latin American food cart that's participatng in the program. 

Rain or shine, Aguilar is committed to giving his customers a taste of his home. 

His cart is stationed at Tenney Park. When Aguilar is there, it's easy to find him— just follow the smell of arepas. 

"It's a corncake... typical Venezuelan food. It's like a crispy sandwich and it's really good," he said of the fan-favorite. 

Adding new flavors, like those arepas, to people's palates is an important part of the Carts in Parks program. Plus, the city is able to support small businesses, provide increased access to food and build up their community spaces during a time when many are feeling isolated due to the pandemic. 

"Food operators represent a variety of communities— a variety of cultures— and food is really what brings people together," Blake-Horst said. "So trying new foods and getting in front of a Venezuelan food cart, that you might not normally go to a Venezuelan restaurant, but it's in the park that you're eating [at], you're hanging out at and that was a good opportunity to try."

You can check out Carts in Parks vendors and schedule, here.