First Taste of Menifee Event Scheduled for Oct. 13

The City of Menifee's annual birthday bash on Oct. 13 will have some added flavor this year.

To help celebrate the fourth birthday of the city, Menifee officials have teamed with a local businessman to create the Taste of Menifee, being described as a "one-day food extravaganza" featuring the area's best eateries.

Following the format used in many cities, the Taste of Menifee will feature local restaurants and "mom and pop" food businesses, offering guests a taste of their food products. Vendors will set up in tents in the Mt. San Jacinto College parking lot, offering bite-size tastes in exchange for "taste" tickets purchased at the event -- 5 tickets for $5.

This event will run from 4-7 p.m. as part of the day-long birthday celebration, which includes musical performances on stage, a kids' zone and the Menifee Motor Madness Car Show.

"This basically came out of brainstorming between Rob Johnson (director of community improvement and outreach) and myself," said Bill Gould of Full Value Entertainment. "I've wanted to do this for a while, and with the big birthday celebration, we thought it was the perfect time."

Gould is making 20 spots available for food vendors. Panera Bread, which opened this week, was the first to commit to a food booth. Several others have made oral commitments, Gould said. Local restaurants and food vendors are urged to apply for a spot in Taste of Menifee by visiting its website, www.tasteofmenifee.com.

"We're looking for brick and mortar style businesses in Menifee proper, or a local owner of a food vendor," Gould said. "We're also looking for some mom and pop operations. We have various affordable options for them. Each booth will have two or three signature items for people to taste."