Sep. 21, 2023 By Michael Dorgan
The Taste of Sunnyside, an annual event that aims to showcase the diverse restaurant mix of the neighborhood, will take place next month — and early bird tickets are now on sale.
The event will see hundreds of attendees go door-to-door to sample food and beverages offered by more than 40 participating local bars and restaurants. The bars and restaurants will be setting up stands in front of their establishments for ticketholders to sample their cuisine.
This year’s crawl will take place from 2 to 7 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 15.
The event is now in its 13th year, and organizers say it will be the biggest one yet with live music, a local artists’ exhibition and a block party under the Sunnyside Arch for the first time. A live DJ will play music throughout the day while attendees can also capture the moment at a photo booth at the location.
The Taste of Sunnyside aims to promote the district as a restaurant destination and bring people together. The popular event is organized by the Sunnyside Shines Business Improvement District (BID), and it is the organization’s most popular event.
Last year’s gathering was sold out, with more than 800 people taking part, up from 500 in 2021. This year, organizers are hoping to get close to 1,000 participants.
The event was changed to a crawl format in 2021 due to safety concerns surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic and to allow attendees to better engage with the restaurants/bars — since ticketholders visit stands outside the participating establishments.
Dirk McCall de Palomá, the executive director of Sunnyside Shines, said the change has proven to be a big hit with the community.
“Event goers will get to visit each participating restaurant, which is great for small business owners to make direct connections with their neighbors,” McCall de Palomá said. “Attendees will be treated to a wide variety of tastes of local signature dishes and brews as ticket holders…
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