TEXARKANA - Harvest Regional Food Bank's Taste of Texarkana fundraiser is scheduled for 5 to 8 p.m. Oct. 22 at the Four States Fairgrounds arena.
More than 40 area restaurants, caterers and beverage providers will participate in the event.
Tickets are $25 for adults and $10 for children between 6 and 12. Children 5 and under get in free.
"We purposely kept the ticket price reasonable so people can bring their entire family out and have a really enjoyable evening," said Camille Wrinkle, Harvest executive director.
Attendees will be able to sample food and drinks from each of the vendors.
"I think what makes this event special is there's something for everyone and it has a broad appeal to the community. It's casual, family-friendly and an event everyone can enjoy," Wrinkle said.
"Each one of the vendors comes out with sample-sizes of their favorite dishes and crowd favorites. When you walk through the door, you get a plate and you're able to go through and sample all of the vendor favorites."
It's hoped that Taste of Texarkana will bring in between $40,000 and $50,000 for Harvest.
"That goes directly to the services we provide for the 10 counties we serve. It supports programs like our mobile pantry program for rural and underserved areas as well as the food banking program where we provide food to area pantries, soup kitchens and shelter. We also use these funds to help support our childhood-hunger relief programs like the Backpack Food for Kids program, after school and summer feeding programs," Wrinkle said.
Taste of Texarkana also benefits participating vendors by allowing them a chance to attract potential customers.
"Its a win-win for the vendors as well as the food bank. For them, it's direct face time with the community with nearly 2,000 individuals attending the event. The vendor has the opportunity to really showcase what they have to offer to a large number of people," Wrinkle said.
Restaurants interested in taking part in Taste of Texarkana, or any business or individual that would like to sponsor the event, can call 870-774-1398 or email [email protected].