The Taste of Charleston Celebrates 30 Years
For Immediate Release, August 2010http://www.charlestonrestaurantassociation.com
October 8-10, 2010 will mark the 30th annual Taste of Charleston event. The three-day celebration of Lowcountry cuisine is being hosted once again by the Charleston Restaurant Association and will feature some of Charleston’s finest, nationally-renowned chefs. For more than 20 years, this charity fund-raising event has been named one of the “Top 20 events in the Southeast” by Southeastern Tourism Society. More than 10,000 guests are expected and there will be something for people of all ages to enjoy. In addition to a few new surprises this year, there will be three events returning to the weekend, including:
• Taste – Iron Chef Competition will be held Friday, October 8, at the Culinary Institute of Charleston’s Palmer Campus in downtown Charleston and will showcase some of the best local chefs in a heated head-to-head battle in the Institute’s state-of-the-art amphitheater kitchen. Doors will open at 6pm.
• Taste of the Arts on Gallery Row will be held from 6 pm-8 pm on Saturday evening, October 9, at various art galleries in downtown Charleston. The art walk combines Lowcountry art with the culinary arts and will showcase the talents of local artists while offering guests a sampling of appetizers from a variety of Charleston’s favorite restaurants.
• Taste of Charleston (Main Event) will be held from 10:30am-5pm on Sunday, October 10, at Boone Hall Plantation in Mount Pleasant. The event will showcase a sampling of culinary treats from more than 45 of Charleston’s favorite casual and fine-dining restaurants. Additional highlights include the legendary Waiter’s Wine Race, food and wine pairings, a selection of over 40 craft and specialty beers, live music from Homemade Wine on the main stage and a Kids Corner including a magic show with Ronald McDonald. This year, the Taste of Charleston’s main event will also play host to the Lowcountry’s largest snow-cone!
Tickets may be purchased at all Tri-county Piggly Wiggly locations and online at www.charlestonrestaurantassociation.com. Tickets to the main event are $12 in advance and $15 at the gate. Tickets to the Iron Chef Competition and the Taste of the Arts are $20 online, but quantities are limited. You can also purchase a three-day ticket online for $40 which will gain you entrance to all of the weekend’s events.
The Charleston Restaurant Association is asking the Charleston community to help them celebrate and remember the past three decades of this important event by participating in a photo contest. All are encouraged to look back in their photo files and albums and upload their best pictures from past Taste of Charleston events – from 1980 through 2009 – into the event’s Facebook page (www.facebook.com/tastecharleston), or e-mail them to Kaili@littledogagency.com. Winners will be chosen to receive a prize package, including tickets to the main event.
Sponsorship opportunities are now available for the three special events. For more information about the events, contact Kathy Britzius, executive director of the Charleston Restaurant Association, at kathy@charlestonrestaurantassociation.com or to inquire about sponsorship opportunities, contact Monique Semper Flynn at moniquesemperflynn.gcra@gmail.com.
The Charleston Restaurant Association (CRA) represents the largest private sector employer in the tri-county area. The association serves as the voice of the Charleston-area food service industry on government and public relations issues. Annual fund-raising events like Taste of Charleston and Lowcountry Oyster Festival, both sponsored by the Restaurant Association, enable them to give back to the community. To date, the association has donated more than $1 million to local charities including the Ronald McDonald House, Hollings Cancer Center and Charleston County Schools Science Materials Resource Center. For more information about the Charleston Restaurant Association, visit www.charlestonrestaurantassociation.com.
