Tickets on sale for ‘Taste of Bristol’

BRISTOL — The West End Association is selling tickets for its annual “Taste of Bristol”, which will provide discounts at 36 local restaurants and help to support the Rockwell Park Summer Festival.

Tickets, which are available now, will provide a one-time 20% discount at each of the local restaurants participating in the Taste of Bristol. The tickets will also include an entry into a drawing for gift certificates from the restaurants, with prizes ranging from $10 to $75.

The Taste of Bristol will run throughout March and April, with the raffle prize drawing held on or around April 30 from all tickets received by April 20. Winners do not need to be present for the drawing and will be notified.

Hillary Stoudt, president of the West End Association, said that the West End Association is glad to be able to support local restaurants.

“It is not an insignificant goal to open a restaurant,” she said. “We are glad to be able to support both new and existing restaurants and give people a chance to try something new.”

Jesse Jablon, vice president of the West End Association, said that this is the 12th year that the Taste of Bristol has been held. On average, the West End Association sells about 1,000 tickets each year.

“With most ‘taste’ events, people pay for a one day ticket, but we made it into a two-month promotion,” he said. “It has been very well received over the years. We have got very positive feedback from restaurants who are glad to be a part of it. It brings new faces in to try their food and it’s a winwin for everyone involved. The community likes to try new restaurants and the West End Association benefits by fundraising for the Rockwell Park Summer Festival.”

Stoudt said that The Rockwell Park Summer Festival, which will be held on Aug. 19 of this year, is a great chance for the West End Association to “bring people together” each year as a community.

“It has been growing every year,” she said. “It is a wonderful way to showcase the city of Bristol.”

Jablon said that last year’s Rockwell Park Summer Festival was a “record breaking year.”

“We had more than 8,000 people come to the park last year and 155 vendors,” he said. “One of the most popular parts of the festival is our Kids’ Zone, which has a variety of activities for children.”

Jablon said that the Rockwell Park Summer Festival originally began as a way to showcase positive things about the West End.

“Bristol and the West End used to have a perception issue,” he said. “We didn’t want to have a carnival so much as showcase crafters, vendors and restaurants doing positive things in the West End.”

Tickets can be purchased at Beacon Pharmacy at 57 South St., Bites & Brew at 785 Terryville Ave., Casa Blend at 14 E. Main St., Expresso Cafe at 95 Maple

St., Family Roots Produce Market at 370 Riverside Ave., Greer’s Chicken at 64 Matthews St., Hamelin & Sons Auto Repair at 64 West St., Jimmy’s on the River at 249 Terryville Ave., Papi’s Kitchen at 25 Middle St., Parkside Cafe at 224 N. Main St., School Street Studios at 173 School St., South Side Meat Market at 141 West St. and Tommy’s Place & Market at 1277 Stafford Ave.

Tickets are $5.

For more information, visit westendbristol.org, email westendbristol@ gmail.com or call Jesse Jablon at 860-620-2771.