20th Annual Taste of the Town This Thursday

The 20th annual Taste of the Town, held by the Council for the Arts of Herndon, will be held this Thursday in the lobby of the Worldgate Theater in Herndon.

The event will feature 27 restaurants, including the Tortilla Factory, O' Sullivans and Panera Bread, as well as a cash bar staffed by locally elected officials and other "celebrities."

More than 100 items will be available for bidding during a silent and live auction, presented by guest auctioneer, Jimmy Cirrito, owner of Jimmy's Old Town Tavern. Items will include restaurant certificates, winery tours, river rafting and movie tickets as well as museum tours like the Air and Space Museum and Mount Vernon. 

“We always have theme and this year it's 'Soaring With the Arts'," said Council for the Arts President Grace Wolf. "We ussually have an auction item related to that. This year we're auctioning off a two person and a four person balloon ride."

Wolf said most of the items up for bidding are all moderately priced. Everything starts at $20 and there are a wide variety of items for almost anyone, she said.

A lot of people buy things they would have bought anyway, Wolf said, and on Thursday, they'll be buying it for a good cause.

Each year, hundreds of people attend the event, which helps raise money for the local community and Council for the Arts of Herndon. The Taste of the Town is also a great way to support the local restaurants, Wolf said, which is a very vibrant part of the economy.

“Many of the restaurants in town are supporters of the Council for the Arts,” said Council for the Arts member Vicky Dorman. “By showcasing them we give them back our support. And where else can you eat at 27 restaurants for 15 or 20 dollars?”

Dorman said it's a “pretty good feeling” to know that the Taste of the Town has been held for 2o years. It's a signature event in Herndon, she said, and has become somewhat of a tradition for the Town.

“If you're looking for a good way of getting to know restaurants in the area, shopping for a good cause and setting an example for your kids, where they can participate in the philanthropy, this is the fundraiser for you,” Wolf said. “What I really enjoy is it's a weeknight. You don't have to dress up. It's $15, you can get dinner, your kids can get dinner and it's really fun. So I really view it as good family entertainment for a good cause.”

Taste of the Town will take place this Thursday, April 7, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $15 for CAH members and $20 for non-members. Kids 12 and under are free. Visit www.herndonarts.org for more information.