Annual Taste of Downriver Event Happening This Month

The 2023 Taste of Downriver Event will take place on Tuesday, August 15 from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. in downtown Allen Park. The event is organized by the Southern Wayne County Regional Chamber of Commerce (SWCRC). Admission to the event is $25, which will allow visitors to sample delicious food from several participating eateries located in downriver. Participating restaurants will include The Broadcast Booth and El Jalapeno from Allen Park, the Serendipity Cakery from Riverview, Honey Baked Ham Co. from Taylor, Grecian Center from Southgate, and more. Restaurants from out of town will have a pop-up presence in the downtown area and inside Prestige Banquet Hall, says Events and Marketing Manager for SWCRC Randy Pilon. He adds that the event draws more than 700 people each year and puts the focus on more than just restaurants. "It's really about highlighting the downtown area as a whole beyond just the restaurants, some of the other retail establishments and brick and mortar businesses there," he says.

Ticketholders will receive menus detailing participating restaurants and a wristband which will grant entry to those restaurants and the delectables they are offering for the event. Guests will walk from each location to the next and Pilon assures the downtown Allen Park area hosting the event is handicapped-friendly. What should anyone considering attending the Taste of Downriver keep in mind? "The first thing they need to know is to come hungry," says Pilon. "A lot of food-and a lot of the restaurants will try to 'one up' each other so you're going to see some really great food here and there are a ton of terrific menu items from all the different restaurants. You just go from restaurant to restaurant and try everything, and if you like something, go back for seconds."

Pilon adds that the event's partnering sponsors help make the Taste of Downriver a success every year, providing financial support for things like marketing, supplies, and trash dumpster rental. He says, "We're really looking forward to it. This is our first year hosting the event in downtown Allen Park, we're very excited to partner with them and it's going to be a lot of fun."

Tickets for the event are available at http://www.SWCRC.com/Taste2023 or by phone at 734-284-6000. Tickets are $25 each or $20 each if you purchase 10 or more. It is suggested wristbands and menus be picked up ahead of the event at the SWCRC Office in Taylor or at the Allen Park Community Center the day of the event. Tickets will be available the day of the event as well at the Allen Park Community Center, 15800 White Ave. in downtown Allen Park.