By John Schaffner
editor@reporternewspapers.net
After a one-year hiatus last year because of the economy, the Taste of Brookhaven is returning this year, but in September rather than June, according to Gretchen Roberts, executive director of the Brookhaven Arts Alliance.
“The 2009 event cancellation was due to a challenging sponsorship climate coupled with an increase in event overhead,” Roberts said. She said it was a tough decision, but the BAA viewed the cancellation as “a sound business decision due to the limited resources.”
This year’s Taste of Brookhaven will be moving to Saturday, Sept. 18, and “will return to the picturesque grounds of Brookhaven’s own Conant Performing Arts Center,” at Oglethorpe University, 4484 Peachtree Road, Roberts announced. The event will run from 6 to 10p.m. and will feature an assemblage of the area’s “finest restaurants,” she added.
Roberts said she expects this fifth anniversary Taste of Brookhaven will be another sell-out, as the event has been every time since its inception.
“In previous years diners have indulged their taste buds with a sampling of exquisite food from Bones, Haven, Hudson Grille, Library Coffee Company, Metrotainment Bakery, Nava, Park 75 – Four Seasons Hotel, Repast, Roy’s, Spice Market, Sweet Water Growers, Terra, Terroir, Valenza, Villa Christina, and Wisteria,” Roberts recalled.
Wine has come from Crane Creek Vineyards, Hungarian Family Wine, Peachtree Wine Merchants, and Sherlock’s Wine Merchants.
“There are numerous opportunities to get involved with the Taste of Brookhaven and show your support for the Brookhaven community,” Roberts said. “On a corporate level, this event is a great venue to advertise your company through sponsorship, participating in the silent auction, or participating as a restaurant or vineyard.”
Details of sponsorship levels are available at the Web site www.brookhavenartsalliance.com. Sponsorship forms, restaurant applications, and forms for silent auction donations also can be accessed via the website.
Volunteer positions also are available on these committees: decorating, silent auction, music, restaurant, sponsorship, or advertising. Contact Volunteer Coordinator Christy Murray, christy4thebaa@hotmail.com, for further information. “There is always a need for volunteers for these types of events,” Roberts added. “We always seem to wish we had more.”
In addition to holding planning meetings for the Taste of Brookhaven, the Arts Alliance also is working on plans for its annual Brookhaven Arts Festival, which will be held in mid-October. Roberts said the new dates for the Taste of Brookhaven positions it “as a stage-setter” for the Arts Festival, scheduled a month later for Oct. 16 and 17.
The Brookhaven Arts Alliance is a non-profit, 501(c) (3) organization providing arts education and cultural events for residents and visitors of Brookhaven. Proceeds from events like the Taste of Brookhaven are helping the Alliance with that work.
For further information on the Brookhaven Arts Alliance or Taste of Brookhaven, visit the Web site, www.brookhavenartsalliance.com, join the Brookhaven Arts Alliance fan page on Facebook or contact the office at 404-266-3426.