The filet mignon (pictured above) will sizzle and the wine will flow as Lewisburg, West Virginia welcomes foodies once again to mark the end of summer with the 31st annual Taste of Our Town (TOOT) Festival. The event, presented by SIMI Sonoma County Wines, will bring together culinary artists and food lovers from all walks of life for four hours of food and wine tasting, and live music. More than 10,000 people are expected to attend this year, and tokens (since cash is not accepted) sell out fast.

This year’s TOOT takes place on Saturday, October 10th from 11am-3pm. Attendees will converge on the streets of downtown Lewisburg to sample delicacies from local restaurants, civic clubs, and organizations. New exciting flavors for this year include: Smooth Ambler’s Greenbrier gin marinated beef kabobs; The Market Courthouse Square’s chicken salad croissants, and white chocolate & pumpkin mousse; Cakes & Cone’s chicken n’ waffles, and caramel apples; and Bridge Road Bistro’s Swift Level meatballs, and Swift Level bratwurst with mango salsa. Returning favorites are the Dutch Haus’ filet mignon sandwiches; The Greenbrier’s peaches and cream, bread pudding and chicken pot pie; The Greenbrier Sporting Club’s shrimp and grits (pictured above); Greenbrier Valley Baking Company’s crab cake sandwiches; and Stuart’s Smokehouse pulled pork.

One of the event’s sponsors, SIMI Sonoma County, is delighted to be involved in this growing event. The French Goat and Stella’s Restaurant will feature them with tastings. Making delicious wine since the late 19th century, SIMI has vineyards in two small and specialized sub-districts of Sonoma County along the Pacific coast. In the warm Alexander Valley they grow red Bordeaux varieties and in the cooler, foggier Russian River Valley they produce Chardonnay.

Along with food and wine, there will be live music throughout the downtown and John Wyatt is expected to travel the streets with his guitar. 3 stages of live music will also be set up including the Lafayette Street Stage, which will host Rush Run Philharmonic from 11-12pm, Matt Evans from 12:15-1:15pm, and Davis and Elkins’ Appalachian Ensemble from 1:30-2:45pm; The Church Street stage where entertainment is still TBA; and the Carnegie Hall Stage which will host the Choirs of Greenbrier East from 11-11:30am, Lewisburg Elementary 5th Grade Choir from 11:45-12:15pm, Greenbrier East Spartan Band/2nd Block Rock from 12:30-1:15pm, Valley Dance Studio from 1:15-1:50pm, and Heartstrings Academy from 2-2:30pm.

So from shrimp and grits in White Sulphur Springs to the finest wines on the Pacific coast to live music on every corner, this festival is where West Virginia goes to do more than just eat. Don’t miss this fun filled event. Please remember that cash is not accepted at food vendor booths. And unfortunately, animals are not permitted on festival grounds for safety regulations. ATMs are conveniently located downtown at First National and City National Banks.

25% of proceeds goes to Carnegie Hall, a non-profit organization that brings the arts to life! This is their biggest fundraising event of the year. For more information or to purchase tokens, visit carnegiehallwv.org

– LBSPY October 2015