2nd annual Taste of Mountain Brook set for May 1

In its second year, Taste of Mountain Brook returns on Sunday, May 1, from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Tents of food will line Hoyt Lane between the fire station, City Hall building and Oak Street Garden Shop, said Leigh Ann Sisson, president of the All In Mountain Brook board, which Taste of Mountain Brook benefits.

“This is a great family event designed to be a fun and festive true community gathering where families can fellowship and enjoy the delicious foods made available by our local, talented chefs and restaurateurs,” she said.

All restaurants and caterers that fall within the Mountain Brook city limits are welcome to participate, Sisson said. Last year the event drew in 17 restaurants, and Sisson said this year they are hoping for 25 to 30 restaurants to be represented.

“We had everything from pasta to pizza to taco bars to quesadillas to delicious cakes and sweets to mini-club sandwiches to salads to — yum!” she said.

In addition to good eats, entertainment will be plentiful — a number of groups from Mountain Brook High School will perform at the event, including the cheerleaders, Dorians, jazz band, Una Voce and the high school’s chamber choir.

“This event was developed as a way to raise funding to support the activities within the schools and within the community that are sponsored by All In Mountain Brook,” Sisson said.

All In Mountain Brook was formed just last year, and its mission and vision — which began by focusing specifically on drug and alcohol education — has grown to address additional topics that affect the young people of Mountain Brook as they maneuver through their adolescence, Sisson said. Topics addressed include drugs and alcohol, mental health issues, technology and personal safety.

“We wanted to be able to support programming in the schools as well as for parents and the community that would inform and equip our folks to address these issues,” Sisson said. “That takes money. [Taste of Mountain Brook] encourages family time, community togetherness, spotlights our local restaurants and raises money that goes right back into mentoring one of our great resources — our young people.”

Tickets are $15 and children under 12 are freef. Despite the food vendors being limited to Mountain Brook, anyone can attend the event, Mountain Brook resident or not. Sisson said pre-purchase of tickets is preferable, as there is a limited number of tickets — and tickets can be acquired at allinmountainbrook.org. All In Mountain Brook can also be found on Facebook and Twitter.

“Those are regularly updated with articles and research on topics of interest to parents and students,” Sisson said.

Taste of Mountain Brook directly supports the work of All In Mountain Brook, which has become an organization that seeks to have the youth of Mountain Brook reach their greatest potential.

“All In Mountain Brook has become a true community partnership focused on equipping our parents and young people,” Sisson said. “It is a partnership between the city, the schools, the worship communities and the businesses within Mountain Brook. This is reflected in the makeup of our board, our event venues and the collaboration between all these groups as programs are planned and implemented. I am constantly overwhelmed at the knowledge, talent and creativity of our board as they seek new ways to engage and challenge our Mountain Brook youth to make the choices that will allow them to reach their greatest potential.” 

Tickets can be purchased here.