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NEWPORT, RI, July 29, 2009 -- The Newport Yachting Center announces that applications are now available for area chefs to sign up for the upcoming 21st Annual Stop & Shop Taste of Rhode Island. Chefs representing area restaurants, catering companies and corporate dining establishments are invited to show their “Rhody Pride” by selling their local creations to the tens-of-thousands of New Englanders who will be attending the event on Saturday, October 3rd from 11:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. and Sunday, October 4th from 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. The celebration of the Ocean State’s culinary delicacies, as well as its crafts, talents and culture, is truly a fun-filled day for the participants as well as the whole family.
Those restaurants who participate in the Taste of Rhode Island keep 100 percent of their sales, less taxes, and pay no commission to the event. The only fee required is $300 for a 10’ x 20’ booth. Propane, refrigeration, sanitation and prep and service tables are all supplied. In addition to attracting customers and building brand awareness, participants will also have an opportunity to present a live cooking demonstration on stage and compete for attendees’ votes and the honor of receiving the “Favorite Taste of RI” award. Contracts are available by contacting Mike Martin, Festival Director of the Taste of Rhode Island, at (401) 846-1600, Ext. 210 or Rich Travis at (401) 846-1600, Ext. 206. Information on the event process can be found on newportwaterfrontevents.com.
“This is not an event where restaurants are asked to donate their time and materials and receive very little in return,” said Martin. “The restaurants who participate in Taste are able to sell their cuisine and actually make money. Obviously, the fun weekend also helps increase company morale and expands the visibility of each restaurant among thousands of attendees from throughout New England.”
One of the most anticipated highlights of the Fall events calendar in Rhode Island, the Taste of Rhode Island features dozens of restaurants organized into culinary destinations -- such as the “Rhode Island Barbeque Spectacular” and the “Rhode Island Shore Dinner Hall” -- selling appetizer-sized portions of the area’s most eclectic cuisine. Other highlights will include an extensive raw bar with fresh native shellfish, oyster shucking and slurping contests, wine and beer pairings and the 2nd Annual Rhody Recipe Contest winners’ presentations.
A new destination this year is the Stop & Shop Pavilion, where attendees can engage with brand ambassadors and sample some of their favorite products, including Bertolli, Lipton Tea and Starbuck’s Ice Cream. There will also be continuous culinary demonstrations on the Stop & Shop Culinary Stage featuring quick and easy meal solutions from our participating chefs. The Wine Garden will offer a little something for everyone, including Mirassou, Frei Brothers, Whitehaven, Martin Codx and Maso Canali wines, along with a little jazz music to set the mood.
Although the event’s focus is food and drink, there will be two stages of live entertainment featuring headliners closing out the evenings on the open-air Courtyard Stage. Attendees can also expect a series of KidSTOPs where children can enjoy various games and crafts, as well as strolling acts and a Marketplace tent with a variety of specialty items representing the state of Rhode Island.
As with all the Newport Waterfront Festivals, the Taste of Rhode Island helps support the fundraising and awareness efforts of various charities that are making a difference in the state.
Admission ticket prices for the Taste of Rhode Island, to be held at the Newport Yachting Center on 4 Commercial Wharf, are $8.00 in advance and $10.00 after September 25th for adults and free for children under the age of 12 as long as they are accompanied by an adult. The event sells $1 tokens to be used for purchases of food from participating restaurants.
Tickets can be ordered on-line at www.newportwaterfrontevents.com by using the ClicknPrint ticketing system which offers the benefit of “at home” ticket printing. In addition, those interested in tickets can call the Newport Yachting Center Box Office at (401) 846-1600, which is also open for walk-up sales seven days a week. For more information, please contact Mike Martin at (401) 846-1600, Ext. 210 or Rich Travis at (401) 846-1600, Ext. 206.
“It’s all here!” at the Newport Yachting Center with a 2009 Newport Waterfront Events line-up which includes the 12th Annual Nantucket Nectars Sunset Music Series and the 9th Annual Newport Comedy Series (both held throughout the summer), the Newport Arts Festival (August 29-30); the 12th Annual Newport Waterfront Irish Festival (September 5 -7), the 39th Annual Newport International Boat Show (September 17-20), the 21st Annual Stop & Shop Taste of Rhode Island (October 3-4) and the 17th Annual International Oktoberfest (October 10-12). All the events are held at the Newport Yachting Center in the “city by the sea” where beach-going, shopping, dining and enjoying the nightlife are often a part of the pre- or post-Newport Waterfront Events activity.
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