Trucks return to Civic Center Park for Mayor Speer's birthday party today

A century ago, Mayor Robert Speer saw big things ahead for Civic Center Park, which he predicted "will do more than anything else to advertise Denver -- attract the tourist, health and home seekers, stimulate civic pride and encourage prosperity to abide with us."

He didn't say anything about Occupy Denver, but otherwise his predictions were very prescient. And today, the Civic Center Conservancy is throwing a 156th birthday party for Speer in the park that he made possible.

The party will be a variation on Civic Center Eats, the twice-a-week lunchtime eat-meet-and-greet that the Conservancy hosted in the park this past summer.

For today's party, several of the most popular trucks at Civic Center Eats -- CrockSpot, Denver Cupcake Truck, Mikes 2 Kitchen and Lost Coffee -- will be back in the park from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. today, selling everything from soup to sandwiches to cupcakes and coffee.

Stop by, grab some lunch, see the sights and celebrate the park that Mayor Speer built.