No one works harder to put on The Taste of Downtown than Traci Trenowith, Advocates to End Domestic Violence sexual assault response advocate and volunteer coordinator.
Trenowith’s main duty is to recruit and work with the 40 or so restaurants as well as about 20 retail stores who take part in Taste of Downtown, which benefits her organization. Carson City’s Taste of Downtown takes place from 5:30 to 10 p.m. Saturday.
“Most of the time I’m helping them decide what food to serve, if they can prepare it for 2,000 and keep it hot and cost effective,” said Trenowith.
Additionally, she works with the Carson City health department, both to help the participating restaurants obtain the needed permits for the event and to coordinate with the team of health inspectors sent to oversee it.
A big part of meeting health guidelines is ensuring there’s enough electricity available at the event to keep the vendors’ food hot.
The power needs to accommodate the half dozen or so bands who perform at the event, too.
The bands are scouted out and signed up by Terri Farnworth, AEDV office manager, who works long hours with Trenowith organizing Taste of Downtown.
Now in its 22nd year, the food-and-fun fundraiser will feature bands providing an eclectic range of music on 13 downtown city blocks, from Telegraph Square to 10th Street.
The bands include Chaser, a classic rock and country cover band; folk-and-bluegrass band, Hick’ry Switch; and “American Idol” contestant and Carson City native, singer Molly Seals.
Also taking part will be some area shops, including Artsy Fartsy Art Gallery, Due Sorella and Morley’s Book, offering their own goodies while keeping their doors open for the night.
A complete list of restaurants, bands and stores is available at tasteofdowntowncarson.com.
Participating restaurants provide samples of their best food. Ticket holders are entitled to one sample from each vendor and samples cannot be bought separately.
Most restaurants will be in booths throughout downtown, but some eateries participate at their site. Trolleys are available to transport people to restaurants outside the downtown core.
Ticket holders receive a wrist band marked off for each sample, a map of the food booths, bands and stores, and a ballot to vote for their favorites, including Best Overall, Best Discovery, Best Band and Best Shop.
Tickets are $40 per person before the event and are available via the event web site or at Classy Seconds Thrift Shop, 411 Hot Springs Road. Ticket sales are limited to 2,000 so if it isn’t sold out, tickets are going to also be available on the day of the event at an information booth on the steps of City Hall starting at 11 a.m. Same day tickets are $45.