Taste Of Downtown Cortland 2015

Submitted by Jane Witty, Promotions Director, Cortland Downtown Partnership

The luring charm of downtown Cortland is the selection of restaurants, walkability to another for a drink, coffee, or dessert, several live music venues, and boutiques to browse in between. Taste of Downtown highlights the best of all of these features in one day with two dozen participating restaurants, eight music performances, street performers, sidewalk vendors and exhibits.

The tasting and entertainment begins at 12:00pm, Saturday, July 11, and the tour extends from The Local Food Market at North Main Street to RiLi’s Bubble Tea and Lounge at South Main Street.  The entertainment and exhibits are free, but tickets are required to sample food and beverages. This year, food sample tickets are $10.00 per pack with a tasting guide, and $3.00 souvenir glasses come with drink tickets for adult beverages. Tickets are available Monday, July 6 at The Cortland Beer Company at 16 Court Street and The Local Food Market at 37 North Main Street. Tickets often sell out, so it’s highly advised to purchase tickets before the event. plan to purchase your tickets before the event and call 607.591.7903 by Friday July 11 if you are visiting from out of town and would like to reserve tickets. The event runs until 4:00pm, but samples are limited. Please

There’s a competitive component to the tasting too – participating eateries hope to beat out the others for the title of Favorite Flavor. New contenders this year, the Whole Heart Café in the Local Food Market is offering up a sweet or a savory scone. Try bubble tea at RiLi Bubble Tea & Lounge, or a Vycious Hot or Sweet Caroline from Pig Vycious BBQ. Festival participants vote for their Favorite Flavor by 4:30pm at ballot boxes located at Frosted, Cortland Beer Company, and the Local Food Market. Restaurants appreciate your feedback by your return visit for their complete dining experience, so please be sure you mention that you were introduced to them at Taste of Downtown.

ENTERTAINMENT FOR ALL

Taste of Downtown offers a variety of entertainment for all ages throughout the day.

12:00 – 4:00 Live music at 2 venues (Main & Court and 14 Main St.) on the hour, featuring:

Tractor Beam

Molly and the Badly Bent Bluegrass Boys

Quona Hudson

Jimmy Lawler

Rachel Beverly

The Howlers

Jim VanDeuson

Steve Daniels

12:00 – 4:00 Nate the Great juggling street performances at 1:00, 2:00 & 3:00 shows at 64 Main St.

12:00 – 4:00 Visit the Army National Guard exhibit at 64 Main St.

1:00 – 3:00 Free caricatures by Jim Coon at 89 Main St.

PARKING

There is plenty of free parking in public lots and on-street throughout downtown. Please note the MarketPlace Mall lot at 64 Main Street will be closed that day to host exhibitors, but Main Street will be open for this event.

A COMMUNITY ORGANIZED EVENT

A Taste of Downtown is an annual event in its tenth year produced by the Cortland Downtown Partnership’s (CDP) Promotions Committee. The committee is comprised of volunteers from the community and with our combined support and efforts, our downtown will realize its full potential. The CDP is a nonprofit business organization dedicated to maintaining and enhancing Historic Downtown Cortland as a vital retail and cultural center. Proceeds from Taste of Downtown support the Cortland Downtown Partnership and are invested in efforts to improve the downtown community.

For updates, please find the Cortland Downtown Partnership’s “A Taste of Downtown Cortland 2015” event page on Facebook.  Call the Cortland Downtown Partnership for more information or to get involved: 607.299.4682.