End the summer with a hit this weekend. Join us at Taste of the Arts, a one-day event featuring 68 scheduled performances, dozens of local restaurants, random entertainment, and of course FOOD  in Freimann Square downtown.

Taste of the Arts, August 25th,  is becoming the city’s largest local food sampling event, with more than 30 restaurant booths expected to sell small samples of everything from bruschetta to burritos; berry cheesecake to bangers and mash.  New restaurants this year include Downtown Deli, Honey on the Table, and Higher Grounds at STAR. Two beer and wine vendors will join Mad Anthony, which has been at the Taste every year:  JK O’Donnell’s Irish Ale House and Baker Street. The following is a list of participating restaurants:

• Acme Bar & Grill
• B. Antonio’s Pizza
• Baker Street Restaurant
• Biaggi’s Ristorante Italiano
• Brava’s Dogs
• Club Soda
• Cracker Jack Catering – Chef Mike Bentz
• Calhoun Street Soups, Salads & Spirits (CS3)
• Dawson’s Dogs
• Downtown Deli & Marketplace
• Firehouse Cafe
• Friendly Fox
• Granite City Food & Brewery
• Don Hall’s Gas House
• Hall’s Takes the Cake
• Higher Grounds Star
• Honey on the Table
• JK O’Donnell’s Irish Ale House
• Purple Mountain Cheesecake
• Qdoba Mexican Grill (Illinois Rd.)
• Shigs N Pit
• Smoothie King
• Stellhorn Subway
• The Venice Restaurant
• Waiter on the Way

The following are staying for Dessert until 10 pm:

• J’aime Manger - Chef Dyeaka Wilson - Dessert
• Mad Anthony Food & Brewery - Dessert
• Vanilla Bean Cupcakery – Dessert

Tickets for food and beverages will be $1 each, with most items ranging from 1 to 4 tickets. More restaurants are still signing up for the Taste but here are participants so far.  For more information about food vendors, contact volunteer Andie Mobley: andie.mobley@gmail.com or (260) 750-8930.

Be sure to stick around for Dessert–the party after the Taste. WBOI 89.1 fm’s host Julia Meek will record her show Meet the Music during Dessert.  WBOI has scheduled a great line-up of headliner bands from 6:00-10:00 pm and more food and beverages will be served. During that same time, Artlink will be having an exhibit opening reception featuring The Final Hurrahs and The Good Ones Clothing Company playing live next door in the Auer Center.   Citilink will connect these free concerts with the free Rock the Plaza show at the downtown library plaza and a show at the Dash-In.

For Taste of the Arts activities, visit www.TasteoftheArtsFortWayne.org.