The arrival of food carts on the UW-Madison campus and around Downtown is a sure sign of spring — and street food in Madison has never been more popular than it is right now, officials say.

This year a record 39 food vendors were approved for the State Street Mall and Capitol vending areas — four more than last year and 13 more since 1997, the earliest year a consistent record was kept.

In addition, up to eight carts are expected in the vending area on the southeast side of campus, now in its second year.

Street food — everything from curries and burritos to kettle corn and smoothies — has become so popular in Madison that it’s getting hard to find spots for new carts within the city’s dedicated vending areas.

“I don’t really know if this street food boom is kind of a fad or not,” said Warren Hansen, the city’s street vending coordinator, citing recent documentaries and TV shows focusing on U.S. street food. “(But) I know it’s really popular now.”

The city limits the number of food vendors to certain areas of campus and Downtown, mostly to where there are electrical outlets but also to maintain a certain aesthetic value to the streetscape.