Tickets for 11th Annual Taste of Eatonton, a celebration of regional restaurant and cuisine held just outside of the Eatonton Plaza Arts Center on the lawn every October, will go on sale Sept. 1.

The event, which features bite-sized samples of foods from an array of restaurants and caterers in the region, is a great way for the community to support local restaurants and try out foods from restaurants that they’ve never been to before, said Eatonton-Putnam Chamber of Commerce Special Events and Tourism Manager Bonnie Simmons.

“It’s a good community support event,” Simmons said. “We do get restaurants from Madison, Greensboro and Milledgeville, as well as restaurants here in Eatonton, so it’s evolved into more of a regional event.”

Since the event began in 1999, it has grown in size and the event now encompasses a larger regional area, she added.

“Last year we had 25 restaurants take part,” she said, adding that in 2002 only 11 restaurants participated in the event.

The event is a fun time for everyone, she added.

“It’s a fun event and you get to eat,” she said. “They cook on-site.”

Last year’s event offered participants bite-sized foods such as tuna bites, sushi, desserts, crab cakes and the like, but Simmons is confident that participants will not leave the event wishing for more.

“The food is bite-sized, but there are generous portions,” she said. “You will not leave hungry.”

Additionally, the event will feature a silent auction, raffle, giveaways and a Z-97 live remote.

So, far nine restaurants are signed up for the event including Balcony Bar and Grill at Spotlight Theatres, Cake Matters, Cuscowilla on Lake Oconee, Hannah’s, Rock Eagle 4-H Center, Save Room for Seconds, Walmart, Wendy’s and The Yesterday Café.

Interested participants need only fill out an application, which is available on the Taste of Eatonton website, or to contact Simmons with the Eatonton-Putnam CVB to obtain an application.

Non-food vendors can participate in the event, she added, but only as sponsors.

This year’s event will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday, Oct. 4, and tickets are $20 in advance and $25 on the day of the event.

Tickets will be on sale Sept. 1 at the Eatonton-Putnam Chamber of Commerce and local area banks including Farmers & Merchants Bank (Eatonton and Lake Oconee branches), Exchange Bank, Pinnacle Credit Union, BB&T, SunTrust and The Peoples Bank (Eatonton, Lake Oconee and Lake Sinclair branches).

For more information about Taste of Eatonton, call the Eatonton-Putnam Chamber of Commerce at (706) 485-7701 or visit www.TasteofEatonton.com.