BENTON — Clear your taste buds and save your appetite.
The annual Savor the Flavor, presented by the Benton Area Chamber of Commerce, is scheduled for 5:30-7:30 p.m. Thursday at the Benton Event Center.
“We have more restaurants and some new and different restaurants,” said Amy McCormick, director of events for the chamber. “There will be more options for different types of food and drink.”
Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door. Admission is $5 for kids ages 5 to 10, and free for children ages 4 and younger. Tickets are available at the Benton Area Chamber of Commerce, 607 N. Market St. in Benton.
McCormick said event organizers didn’t make any major changes from last year to this year.
“It is definitely our most popular event,” she said. “It is a relaxed and family-friendly atmosphere.
“There will be all kinds of food that some they might not normally order.”
McCormick said people call year-round wanting to know when Savor the Flavor will be scheduled.
Any money raised from the event just goes right back into the chamber, she said.
“These funds aren’t designated for any specific purpose,” McCormick said. “It is just for the chamber and its operations.”
Sponsors for the event include Landers of Saline County, Big Red Stores, Malvern National Bank, McCauley Services, Saline County Farm Bureau Insurance, Jones Glass, Baxley-Penfield-Moudy Realtors and Smith Funeral Home.
Tickets went on sale last week, and McCormick said close to 300 tickets have already been sold. She said the event usually averages 750 to 800 guests.
“The last couple of weeks are when we will sell the majority of the tickets,” McCormick said.
Currently, 26 restaurants and businesses are confirmed for the event, but McCormick expects to have at least 35 by Thursday. She said there is still plenty of time for businesses to reserve a booth, as long as there is space.
“As long as we have the room, we would love to have them,” she said. “There is no fee for vendors to participate.
“They invest so much in the food they give away; we don’t ask them to pay to participate.”
For more information on booth space, call McCormick at (501) 860-7002 or email her at amy@bentonchamber.com.
“We focus primarily on food vendors,” McCormick said. “We have restaurants, caterers and a couple of food trucks that will be serving their food inside.”
Restaurants confirmed for this year include the following:
Back Yard Burgers
BBQ Benefiting Arkansas
Big Red
Bistro Catering & Gourmet Take Away
Bruno’s Italian Villa
Colton’s
Dickey’s BBQ
Dixie Cafe
Domino’s
Eat My Catfish
Elite Performance Meals
Gina’s Catering
IHOP
KFC
Kroger
McAlister’s Deli
Moe’s Southwest Grill
Papa John’s
Pasta J
Rib Crib
Riverside
Sugar Dumplin’s Cupcakes
Taziki’s Mediterranean Cafe
Vibrant Occasions Catering
Waffle House
Western Sizzlin
McCormick said having Savor the Flavor at the Event Center gives organizers and eventgoers the room to actually enjoy the event.
“It is easy to get around, and there is plenty of seating to come and stay,” McCormick said. “It is not a rushed atmosphere. People can come and get as much food as they want.
“It is a great layout, and there is plenty of room to spread out for people to stay, relax and talk to their friends or family, and discover new restaurants.”
Staff writer Sam Pierce can be reached at (501) 244-4314 or spierce@arkansasonline.com.