Your Guide to 30th Annual A Taste of Edmonds, Aug. 10-12

Why is the city's most popular festival?

The food? Sure—who doesn't like fair food? The music? Friday's night gig with the Beatniks in the beer garden is always a highlight.

There's that, and much more, at the 30th anniversary of A Taste of Edmonds Aug. 10-12 at the Civic Center Playfield.

Be sure to stop by Edmonds Patch's booth on Saturday, Aug. 11. We love meeting the public, and will have plenty of freebies to give out.

Here's some general info on the Taste:

Food booths: Forty food booths will have a wide range of palatable delights.

Arts and crafts booths: More than 70 quality vendors will offer original, hand-crafted work, including jewelry, art, photography, clothing, pottery, glass, leather items and many others.

Children's area: Features inflatable rides, pony rides, rock wall, a giant slide, model hydroplane racing, free craft activities and booths that cater to the younger set.

Entertainment: There are three stages.

• The Beer Garden Stage, serving Budweiser and sponsored by 106.1 KISS-FM, will have the Beatniks, Whiskey River, the Afrodisiacs and the Atomic Punks, a Van Halen tribute band.
• The Main Stage, sponsored by KOMO News Radio and Frontier Communications, will feature "American Idol" runnerup Blake Lewis and Heart by Heart, a band with some original members of Heart.
• The Kid's Stage, sponsored by KMPS Radio and Lynnwood Honda, will behosted by Buck & Elizabeth. Appearing on the kids stage will be Reptile Islae, The Not Its and 5th Avenue actress Naomi Morgan.

Free shuttle: Coldwell Banker Bain Realty of Edmonds will be making it easy to visit the Taste by dropping folks off at the festival entrance on Seventh Avenue South. Parking and shuttle are free. Buses will depart and return to Edmonds-Woodway High School every 15 minutes beginning 11 a.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Reunions:

• Meadowdale High School Class of 1982 will host an unofficial 30-year party on Aug. 10 at 4 p.m. in the beer garden.
• Edmonds High School Class of 1982 will host an unofficial 30-year party on Aug. 11, at 4 p.m. in the beer garden and presided by Kurin Good.
• Lynnwood High School Class of 1982 will host an unofficial 30-year party on Aug. 12,at 4 p.m. in the beer garden.
• Woodway High School Class of 1982 will host an unofficial 30-year party on Aug. 11 at 4 p.m. in the beer garden.

Special attractions:

• Fair Rewards will have a special kiosk. Participants log in on the computers to receive discounts and gifts from participating A Taste of Edmonds vendors.
• Black Pine Spas will have its 60-foot-by-20-foot interactive display.
• Tulalip Resort Casino and Quilceda Creek Casino will have prizes and giveaways!
• Miss Washington USA and Miss Washington Teen USA contestants will visit Saturday from noon-2 p.m. to sign autographs and answer questions.
• Washington’s Lottery will be selling all your favorite games, and will have second-chance drawings on all three days.
• You can enjoy a glass of wine in a relaxed atmosphere in the wine garden, sponsored by Small Lots, and learn how to play petanque.
• Woodland Park Zoo will have a display.
• KOMO News Radio will have a prize wheel.
• The Taste has created more covered dining area for folks to eat under cover, sun or rain.
• At 5 p.m. daily a Happy Birthday Taste of Edmonds sing a long will be presented by Lynnwood Honda.

For more information, calll the the Greater Edmonds Chamber of Commerce at (425) 670-1496, Ext. 3, or go to the Web site for A Taste of Edmonds.