Taste of Parkersburg a big hit
By RACHEL LANE, rlane@newsandsentinel.comArticle Photos
PARKERSBURG - More than 3,000 people gathered Saturday evening in downtown Parkersburg to sample foods from local restaurants and wines from around the world at the third annual Taste of Parkersburg.
Part of Third Street was closed to traffic Saturday to allow the event to stretch from the parking lot beside the Blennerhasset Hotel almost to the Parkersburg City Building.
For the event, 14 wine vendors from across the country provided about 70 wines to sample from around the world and 13 area restaurants provided a variety of food. Four local artisans had displays and several area jazz bands performed, according to Cecil Childress, chairman of the Taste of Parkersburg Committee.
"It couldn't be better," he said Saturday. "Everyone can find something for them."
Childress said the event began as a way to feature local restaurants and the Taste of Parkersburg was a way to get many restaurants together.
"I'm really excited that the community sees the value of this. The local restaurants are the local color, the local culture," Childress said.
Restaurants ranged from the recently opened Star of India to longtime Parkersburg staples like Colombo's, he said.
"We're hoping that all these restaurants become staples," Childress said.
The food, wine, volunteers and employees were very helpful, said Barbara Rhoads of Deerwalk.
"It's a very nice presentation," she said.
Rhoads said she noticed several different vendors this year compared to last year.
"I didn't know what to expect, but this is very nice," said Amanda Boyd of Parkersburg, who was attending her first Taste of Parkersburg.
"The food was very good," she said.
Mike Bee, a Parkersburg native and co-owner of Falcor Vineyard, traveled from Charleston to represent his company at Saturday's event.
"It's the best festival in the United States. I don't say that because I'm from Parkersburg. I do these festivals all over the country and this is one of the best organized," Bee said.
He said the people are friendly and business is good.
"This year is bigger and better organized" than last year, Bee said. "We'll come back whenever we're invited."
He said the food he sampled was good.
"This is something Parkersburg should really be proud of. Few places in the country have something like this," Bee said.
Childress said the money raised by the festival pays for the festival with money set aside for next year.
"We want the event to be self sustaining (and) we want the restaurants to make money," Childress said.
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RickWT
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09-22-08 10:02 PM
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Nothing like incisive comments on important community topics.
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vortex
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09-21-08 9:46 PM
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Whatever it was his tongue was too thick for him to speak so anyone could understand him.
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derbeobachter
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09-21-08 9:36 PM
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Vortex, I was personally there and you are absolutely wrong regarding the Newell’s half full glass. It was half empty just like his attitude. Besides he might have had an allergic reaction to the grapes
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vortex
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09-21-08 9:11 PM
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I was told that Pothole Bob (Newell) was too drunk to get a quote from him.I under stand he had a half full glass all evening.
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RickWT
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09-21-08 3:56 AM
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Very nice event, great food.
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