From left, Volunteer and Vienna Councilman Harry Deitzler check in Taste of Parkersburg attendees Mike and Carol Seely Saturday evening at Bicentennial Park. (Photo by Gwen Sour)

PARKERSBURG — Hundreds of people gathered downtown for the Taste of Parkersburg, which brought food, drinks and music together Saturday evening for an event that organizers said has become a long-running showcase for local restaurants and vendors.

The event, held at Bicentennial Park, featured 12 food vendors, three beer vendors, wine vendors and live performances by Gypsy River and Track 9.

The event gives people a chance to sample a variety of food and drinks while getting to know businesses in and around the downtown area, said Marvin Edwards, president of Taste of Parkersburg, said .

“We try to get the local downtown person first, and then we venture out a little bit,” Edwards said. “Somebody wants to come in, so we don’t tell them no.”

This year marked the event’s 19th year. Vendors served a variety of food, including pizza, pretzels, ice cream and desserts, with each vendor offering something different.

From left, D'Paulos owner Shannon Hartshorn takes an order from Virgil Roberts during Saturday evening's Taste of Parkersburg event hosted at Bicentennial Park. (Photo by Gwen Sour)

“There’s not two alike,” Edwards said.

Part of the event’s purpose is giving attendees a chance to see what downtown Parkersburg has to offer, he said.

“To sample what’s downtown, you know, see what kind of different foods there is,” Edwards said.

The event also requires a large volunteer effort. About 100 volunteers help put on Taste of Parkersburg, with setup beginning Friday and cleanup continuing late Saturday night.

“A lot of businesses volunteer, and it takes about 100 volunteers to run this,” Edwards said.

For some vendors, the event is both a business opportunity and a personal milestone.

Josh Martin, owner and chef of Unity Mac Bar & Bistro, said he attended Taste of Parkersburg several times before opening his own restaurant.

“Every time I was here, I said one day I’m going to have a restaurant and I’m going to be at Taste of Parkersburg,” he said. “So this is my second year, so I feel very fortunate to be here again.”

Pam Creel, owner of Wine Down on Market, said this was the business’s fourth year participating in the event. She had attended Taste of Parkersburg for years before becoming a vendor.

“I love the, it’s just a great event to come and find out about new foods, wines, learn about wine,” she said. “I’ve always enjoyed that, and it’s great to come and be a vendor, I guess, and be able to talk to customers, find some new customers.”

From left, Tim Marks, Mark Peters and Mike Dotson share a conversation while enjoying beer and food at the Taste of Parkersburg held at Bicentennial Park Saturday. Marks and Dotson performed later in the evening in the band Track9. (Photo by Gwen Sour)

Creel said preparation has gotten easier with experience. She said Wine Down on Market has learned from previous years and benefited from having a chef familiar with the event.

“This is the most efficient that we’ve ever been,” she said. “We learned a lot years prior to, and that’s definitely helped.”

The evening also included a bit of friendly competition among vendors, Edwards said, as attendees sampled food and drinks while moving through the park.

Organizers said the event remains a way to bring people downtown and introduce them to local and regional businesses, whether they are longtime favorites or new additions to the area’s food and drink scene.

From left, George and Susan Lord enjoy a meal together during Taste of Parkersburg Saturday evening. (Photo by Gwen Sour)

From left, Jason and Grace Combs from the Gypsy River Band perform a cover of "Season of the Witch" by Donavan at Bicentennial Park during Taste of Parkersburg Saturday night. (Photo by Gwen Sour)

From left, while working at the Unity Mac Bar & Bistro booth, Rachel Martin waits for her son, Ethan Schaffer to take Sherry Wilson Braid's order during Taste of Parkersburg Saturday evening at Bicentennial Park. (Photo by Gwen Sour)