Taste of Tucker is returning to the city’s downtown district this weekend after holding a virtual event in 2020 due to COVID-19.
The annual food-focused charity fundraiser will take place from 1 to 6 p.m. Saturday along Tucker’s Main Street, which will be closed to allow attendees to wander between restaurant booths. Art Wood, Taste of Tucker’s founder, said 20 restaurants will participate alongside more than a dozen other vendors.
Taste of Tucker has been a community staple for 12 years. It attracted more than 6,000 people in 2019 and raised roughly $43,000 for its nonprofit partners. Wood said he’s expected at least 5,000 people to stop by at some point Saturday to sample some food and gather with neighbors.
Last year’s virtual pivot was a monthlong effort during October, where a different local restaurant was features every day. Wood credited his wife, Karen Wood, with the idea to make the event happen despite the pandemic to try to boost local restaurants.
“It was a different type of event, so we raised about half of the money we normally do, but it was very well-received and the restaurants appreciated it,” Wood said.
Camp Kudzu, a charity that serves children and teens living with type 1 diabetes, is the primary beneficiary of Saturday’s in-person festival. Wood’s 12-year-old son has type 1 diabetes, so he said the nonprofit’s mission is close to his heart. Event proceeds will also go to NETWorks Cooperative Ministry, a partnership of 17 Tucker-area churches, and Old Town Tucker Merchants Associations.
Wood said nearly half of the participating restaurants will donate 100% of their proceeds, while other have agreed to donate about 75%. In 2020, all participating businesses donated 10% of their sales during their specific day.
Two cover bands, The Amazing Mongooses and Dial Up, will perform during the festival. Tucker First United Methodist Church will also hold a kids zone. COVID-19 protocols will be in place and masks are encouraged.
“COVID has made us all feel a little alone. Tucker is so much about the community and being out and about and seeing everybody,” Wood said. “... Just getting back out into the community and seeing your neighbors, I’m thoroughly looking forward to it.
The event is free to attend. Patrons can purchase “Taste tickets” for $1 each, which can be exchanged for food at the various vendors. Most dishes cost between $2 and $5 worth of tickets. Beer and non-alcoholic drinks can also be purchased.
For more information, visit tasteoftucker.com.
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