Female string trio Red Shoes and Rosin is one of the music groups scheduled to appear at the Taste of Oak Ridge on Sept. 28. (Submitted photo)
Submitted
The flavors from some of Oak Ridge’s best restaurants and the sounds of local musicians will fill Jackson Square for the fifth annual “Taste of Oak Ridge” on Saturday, Sept. 28. The highly anticipated event will start at 4:30 p.m. and continue to 10 p.m.
While area restaurants will be able to showcase some of their finest food in small portions or ” tastes,” the community-focused event will raise money to benefit the Free Medical Clinic of Oak Ridge. The “tastes” from each vendor will cost $1 or $2 per item. Tickets will be available for purchase. Attendees can buy as many tickets as they want for $1 each. In addition, beer and wine will be available for purchase.
The event is sponsored by Enrichment Federal Credit Union, Parkway Cardiology, Realty 100 Inc, RNfit Weight Management, Vascular Diagnostics and Jackson Square Merchants Association. Event organizers are still looking for local businesses that may be interested in serving as sponsors or restaurants owners who would like to take part. For more information, call Barbara Ferrell at (865) 483-0961 or Manderley Swain at (865) 964-2178.
The list of participating merchants was not finalized at press time, but the restaurants signed on so far include the Market House, the Soup Kitchen, Razzleberry’s Ice Cream Lab and Kitchen, and Dean’s Restaurant and Bakery, and Birdwell Catering.
Live music will be provided by several local musicians and will be interspersed with the talents of M.C. Magician Danny Whitson. The music schedule is as follows:
- 4:30 p.m.—Early Bird Special
- 5:30 p.m.—Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church Mighty House Band
- 6:30 p.m.—Red Shoes and Rosin
- 7:30 p.m.—Allen McBride
- 8:30—Walker Marema
New this year at “Taste” will be a Free Medical Clinic information booth. Volunteers will be on hand to answer questions about services available, clinic hours, volunteer opportunities and other ways to get involved, and  availability of speakers for churches and civic organizations.
For more information, call Manderley Swain at (865) 964-2178 or Barbara Ferrell at (865) 483-0961.
Sandi Goldberg says
I was very disappointed with this event. I was under the impression that there would be more participants. One I particularly looked forward too, and had been under the impression would be there, was apparently a sponsor but not a participant. I also looked forward to tasting the food served a Dean’s, they only had brownies and they all had nuts in them. I bought tickets to enjoy a couple of glasses of wine while trying foods from places I have yet to eat. My friend and I got there around 5:00, made our way across the parking lot checking out what was available, (the perogies were tasty, but had been in a warmer too long) and when we got to the wine, there was one glass left. They had 6 bottles of wine to last the whole event, that is just ludicrous. The mussels I ate were tasty but far too salty. I will say though that Secret City Pies had tiny little pies that were delicious! And the music that I heard while there was very good. Some friends went about 9:00 and came right back. They said that the last 3 booths were closing down when they got there. It is difficult to believe that the same people who bring us the Lavender Fest. also organized this.