If you travel for your stomach, the third annual Taste of Bragg Creek could be your next destination.
With 21 vendors to choose from and tasting tickets available for $1.50, the third annual event will give visitors a chance to sample the Bragg Creek and surrounding area gastronomical scene.
This year’s event will feature newcomers, such as Spirit Hills Honey Winery, Sugar Shake Bakery & More, as well as a new catering company.
Event founder and restaurateur Charlie Holschuh said the beginning of spring is always a challenging time for restaurants and businesses. “It’s always ‘oh come on, where is everyone?’” Holschuh founded the festival as an incubator for the rural area culinary scene to grow in.
“It’s also an opportunity to showcase…here’s my new menu, here’s my new product.”
Holschuh said the lack of traffic, free parking and short drive from Calgary and rural communities is a boon to the event. Along with a diverse range of ethnic restaurants for a smaller community, he contends the focus on locally produced, made-and-grown-in-Alberta foods will also be a draw for foodies.
“We actually have personal relationships with our growers. When we phone them, they know who we are.”
Last year’s event drew around 700 people.
Along with local dining spots, such as Creekers Bistro, the Bavarian Inn and the PowderHorn Saloon, Calgary-based Wild Rose Brewery and Eau Claire Distillery out of Turner Valley will also have tables at the event.
Office manager Deb Pigeon of Eau Claire echoed Holschuh’s sentiment, saying that people who live in the area are more interested in local products. The distillery uses Alberta-grown barley and botanicals in their vodka and gin respectively.
Another aspect of the event’s character is how cohesive the community is.
“We’re a very close-knit community and we’re getting more and more tourists that are coming out,” Adele Henderson said, who owns Bragg Creek Oil & Vinegar Market. “The community is really working hard to draw more people.”
A portion of funds from the event will again go to children’s activities at the Bragg Creek Community Centre, such as Camp in the Creek and Rumble & Roar.
Taste of Bragg Creek will take place Friday, March 27 from 5 to 9 p.m. at the Bragg Creek Community Centre, 23 White Ave. in the townsite. Tickets can be bought in advance and at the door in packs of 10 or 20. For more information, contact the community centre at 403-949-4277.
