Locals have the chance to take a bite out of Cochrane and savour the many flavours that can be found in the community with the return of “Taste of Cochrane” on Oct. 14.
For $27.96, those who are interested can embark on the staple and delectable self-guided tour of the many eateries in the community. Tickets can be purchased online by visiting www.quirksocial.ca.
From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., participants will be able to visit 14 different locations in the community and experience a variety of unique samples. With new additions to the menu, organizer of this year’s event for a second year in a row, Kailey Mitchell said the event gives locals in the community the chance to explore the different restaurants and businesses in the community.
“People buy a ticket and they go into the locations and they get a sample of something either on the menu, or something new to try,” Mitchell said. “So, it gives them an opportunity to try some of the businesses that maybe you haven’t been to before.”
Another feature brought back from last year's event will give participants the chance to win gift certificates by downloading the Explore Cochrane app and entering codes provided by the participating businesses.
With a decently sized menu of different participating businesses this year, Mitchell advises participants to plan out their routes ahead of time to account for traffic due to construction woes in the community.
“It’s a lot to get to in five hours,” Mitchell said. “Last year, I didn’t make it to all of them in that time. Especially with construction, because it is a self-guided event, we just encourage people to give themselves a little extra time with traffic. But it’s on a Saturday; so hopefully it’s not too bad.”
Mitchell added, outside of giving Cochranites a mouth-watering experience, that “Taste of Cochrane” is first and foremost about encouraging the community to think local when it comes to supporting businesses in the community.
“I think we are obviously strongly encouraging people to support local as often as they can because they’re literally supporting their friends, neighbours, kids, parents, or someone who’s in town,” Mitchell said. “And then the money goes back into our town and it helps our local economy as well.”
Overall, Mitchell said being able to provide locals with the opportunity to experience the different restaurants in a more intimate setting and also discover new parts of the community.
“You actually get to go in and see the vibe of the restaurant and meet people; so you’re likely to discover a restaurant that you haven’t tried yet in Cochrane,” Mitchell said.
With the event almost a week away, Mitchell said participants are sure to have a good time, and a full stomach to match.
“I think people sometimes aren’t sure what the sample size looks like, and I’ll just say that you will probably be very full,” she said. “Some restaurants do smaller samples, but a lot of them do quite a good portion for what’s considered a sample; so the value of the ticket versus what you’re getting is pretty awesome.
“It’s a great, fun event for people, and hopefully we’ll see a lot of people out.”
