Twelve restaurants and caterers have committed to the Taste of Winnemucca planned for July 4.
Organizers said their goal is 20 participants.
For Bob Shaw, Humboldt County Chamber of Commerce Board vice president, it's simple - it's an opportunity for a restaurant or caterer to see up to 2,000 potential customers in four hours.
"It's a no-brainer from an advertising standpoint," he said at a Taste of Winnemucca Committee meeting Wednesday.
With a budget of around $2,500, the Chamber of Commerce, in collaboration with the Lions Club, is hoping to put a new spin on the Fourth of July festivities this year and create an event that will keep people in town.
The main attraction will be Taste of Winnemucca - a gathering of local restaurants and catering chefs offering a taste of their best food.
Dawn Baldwin, event coordinator, said everyone she has heard from in town is excited about the event's makeover.
"Everybody around town is talking about it," she said.
The event is scheduled for a noon kick-off and organizers are in conversation with Silver State International Rodeo organizers to coordinate the July 4 festivities with the rodeo's parade. So far, Shaw said they haven't had much luck convincing board members to bump the parade up from its 1 p.m. start time to coincide with their noon start-time but there is hope.
"We are trying to compromise with SSIR to have the parade at noon and our kick-off at noon," he said. "We don't want to hurt the parade; we want to make it part of the event."
SSIR President Dale Owen said he is confident a compromise can be reached as far as the timing of parade goes.
The important thing is to affect how the crowd moves through town, according to Shaw. If the crowd migrates from the parade over to the park, it's a win-win situation.
Originally, Taste of Winnemucca organizers hoped to work with SSIR to re-route the parade so it would end at the park. After talking with SSIR organizers, Shaw said that doesn't appear likely.
"I don't think re-routing is an option," he said. "We just have to live with that."
Owen said the parade cannot be routed over the railroad tracks and the only other way to take it past the park would significantly increase the length of the route, but he did not give a definitive "no" to re-routing.
Shaw said he does plan to use the rodeo and parade as a platform for advertising though and hopes the SSIR crowd will end up in the park after the parade. Shaw said SSIR is also considering helping with some children's activities like a stick-horse rodeo, barrel racing and roping.
In addition to featuring restaurants, music, competitions and children's activities, this summer's Fourth of July event will also offer items from local crafters and maybe even local businesses.
The Taste of Winnemucca committee will hold an information session Wednesday, Feb. 19 at 2:30 p.m. at Winners Casino. Any person who would like information or sign up to participate are invited to attend.[[In-content Ad]]
