Charleston's longest-running food festival is serving up big changes this year, including a new date over Memorial Day weekend, a new indoor-outdoor format and a new location at the Four Points by Sheraton along Kanawha Boulevard.
But wait, there's more!
There also will be new beer and wine for purchase, assorted food trucks and a special VIP section, complete with waiters and waitresses who will bring your selected food to you.
These changes are all part of a concerted effort to breathe new life into an event that has remained largely the same during its 30-year run. FestivALL director Brittany Javins and new Taste-of-ALL chair Brenda Ashworth hope these enhancements will not only please longtime attendees, but also attract a whole new audience this year.
"Taste-of-ALL has been a popular event for so long, but we want it to keep evolving with the times," said Brenda Ashworth, who has just stepped in as the event's new chairwoman.
"We have a lot of new things in store this year to make sure that it does."
Adds FestivALL director Brittany Javins, "We're really excited about the changes and the restaurants we've heard from are, too."
Formerly known as the Taste of Charleston, this restaurant-sampling extravaganza has previously been inside the Charleston Civic Center later in the year. This year's event, sponsored by Mardi Gras Casino & Resort, will take place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, May 28, at the Four Points by Sheraton along the riverfront.
Organizers say the move to Memorial Day weekend allows the event to be part of a larger FestivALL "preview" to kick off Charleston's city-wide celebration of the arts.
Also on tap that weekend is the summer's first "Live on the Levee" concert Friday night, a "FestivALT" concert Saturday night, a special West Virginia Public Broadcasting music event Sunday and the state's long-running celebration of Appalachian heritage, the Vandalia Gathering, running all three of those days.
But the biggest change for many will be Taste-of-ALL's new location and format. Although some details are still being sorted out, Ashworth said the basic logistics have been nailed down.
Restaurant stations will be set up throughout the hotel's lobby and adjacent foyer, with some spilling outside onto the hotel's front parking lot (which will be closed to traffic during the event) and Kanawha Boulevard, where a variety of food trucks will be available.
Ticket tables will be set up inside and out, Ashworth said, and all participating food trucks will offer samples using the same Taste-of-ALL tickets. As in the past, tickets are 50 cents each and no item should cost more than six tickets, or $3.
As for seating, the public will have several options.
"We'll have tables set up to hold 250 inside the hotel's ballroom and another 250 under a tent outside," she said. Additional tables spread throughout the site will hold another 250, so they expect to have seating for at least 750-800 people at a time.
And that doesn't include additional space at Haddad Riverfront Park, where some guests may wander to enjoy live music provided by FestivALL that will run throughout the day.
"We're also hoping to have that music playing on speakers inside the hotel, but haven't quite figured that out yet," Ashworth said.
Knowing this year's event will be more spread out than in years past, Ashworth said the Taste-of-ALL committee has been working extra hard to make sure attendees know how to make their way to the different areas now available.
"We really want to make the traffic flow easy, to keep people moving inside and outside as much as possible," she said. Event signage and a restaurant map will help show guests where to go, plus volunteers will be on hand to assist as well.
But if you'd rather stay put, a new VIP room holding up to 100 will include wait staff who can deliver your selections to enjoy in air-conditioned comfort. Ashworth said a special VIP ticket will be required to access this area, although exact pricing is still being determined.
Alcohol won't be available through Taste-of-ALL tickets, but beer and wine will both be available for purchase to enjoy with your food.
Other additions this year include a children's area set up outside and a special art installation made of pizza boxes that local schoolchildren will paint ahead of time.
"We really are trying a lot of new things this year," Ashworth said, "and people seem to be excited about the changes so far."
She is, too, although the changes aren't really "new" to her at all. While she's no stranger to event planning - having organized the annual Ice Cream Social and St. Anthony's Fish Frydays for 10 and 20 years, respectively - she's never been involved in Taste-of-ALL before this year.
So why take on the job, especially in a year with so many changes?
"It's a great event and a nice challenge. And they just asked me to do it," Ashworth said, with a laugh. "How's that?"
But seriously, she likes the fact that this popular event is now tied to another.
"I truly love FestivALL and think it has really done a lot for the city. I've lived here my whole life and if we don't work on tourism, and promote these types of events, the city is not going to grow."
There are currently 14 restaurants confirmed for this year's Taste: Adelphia Sports Bar & Grille, Big Joe's Bar & Grille, The Block Restaurant and Wine Cellar, Blossom Dairy, Bluegrass Kitchen and Starlings Coffee & Provisions, Bridge Road Bistro, Dem 2 Brothers & A Grill, Ellen's Homemade Ice Cream, Four Points by Sheraton, Mardi Gras Casino & Resort, Mi Cocina de Amor, Quarry Ridge Genesis, Sam's Uptown Café and Stuff It.
More are expected to come on board, as the committee is actively recruiting restaurants up until an April 15th signup deadline. Vendor applications are still being accepted and event volunteers are needed, too.
For more information, call 304-542-2839, email TasteofALL@gmail.com or visit www.festivallcharleston.com. You can also receive updates by following the event at www.facebook.com/tasteofallcharleston or ww.instagram.com/taste_of_all_charleston.
Reach Steven Keith at 304-380-6096 or by e-mail at wvfoodguy@aol.com.