By By Arthur McLean
Saturday evening, Heritage Park in Atmore will come alive with food and food lovers for the innaugural Taste of the South.
The event, the first of its kind in Atmore, will feature cooks, chefs, barbecuers and more from around the Atmore area, showing off their cooking skills in the battle where the spectators will be the winners.
More than 15 vendors from around the Atmore area will start cooking at Heritage Park Saturday, and the public will be able to taste the offerings from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.
The event is a project of the Atmore Chamber of Commerce's Leadership Atmore class of 2004.
"Walt Butler had the idea, and we thought it was wonderful," said Sharon Smith, a member of the class. "This is something we hope to put on every year."
Already members of the community have gotten behind the event, Smith said. "We've had a tremendous amount of support from people who've donated to get this event off the ground."
Tickets for the event will be $10 each, and offer five tear-off slips for samples from five vendors. The remainder of the ticket will be a ballot to fill in a nomination for the best of the Taste of the South.
Providing the food will be: Gold's BBQ, Wild Bunch Butt Burners, Tomato Cafe, Dean's Grill, Atmore Community Cup, David's Catfish, Creek Family Restaurant, Atmore Rotary Club, Atmore Area Chamber of Commerce, Pepsi, Carl Butler, Walt Butler, Atmore Women's Club and Fat Boy's BBQ.
Musical entertainment will also be provided. Tickets are available at the event, local banks and the Atmore Chamber of Commerce.
Tickets will be available at the event and the public is invited to attend.