The annual event takes place on the Park Street common in West Springfield.
West Side's Taste of the Valley takes place on the West Springfield Town Common.Good eats and music for all tastes, with a dash of extras mixed in, are on the menu for this weekend’s West Side’s Taste of the Valley.
The annual event, organized by the Rotary Club and Town of West Springfield, begins Thursday and runs through June 10. It is sponsored by Chicopee Savings Bank.
“Our annual Taste of the Valley brings together a lot of folks from throughout the area for four days to enjoy good food and entertainment at a price affordable for most families today. There is no cover charge to get in and the music and entertainment is free, so it’s a great why for families to enjoy an afternoon together. And, it’s all for a worthy cause because money collected goes back into the community,” said Rotary member and Taste chair George Condon.
Among the restaurants and concessions selling their with taste-tempting treats this year will be Angelo’s, Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream, Carol’s Concessions, Crepes Tea House, Edible Arrangements, Local Burger, Mamma Mia’s Pizzeria, Millie’s Pierogi, The Runway by B’Shara’s, S’Capades, Ultimate BBQ, Thai Taste, Villa Napoletana and Mama Iguana’s.
“We’re very excited to be a part of this year’s Taste for the first time since opening our doors in Springfield. We couldn’t participate last year because we were busy getting ready to open our doors last June, but we look forward to sharing good times and good weather with all of our friends and vendors this year,” said Michael Sakey, general manager at Mama Iguana’s.
“Our chef is still working out our Taste menu, which will consist of a variety of bite-sized Mexican-inspired tapas,” he added.
There will be incredible edibles for all tastes from Italian dishes such as ziti with chicken and broccoli to pizza smothered in cheese and topped with pepperoni to Eastern dishes such as Pad Thai with garlic chicken to cashew chicken with veggie fried rice. Barbeque lovers can savor a pulled pork or chicken sandwich, while those who enjoy Southern cuisine can sink their teeth into a catfish sandwich, spicy shrimp and chicken jambalaya or mango shrimp or chicken jerk salad. There will also be plenty of Polish food to choose from such as pierogi, golumpki and a kielbasa dog, alongside all-American hot dogs and hamburgers. If it’s a hearty stuffed to the brim grinder you’re looking for, there will be sausage, London broil or meatball subs along with finger foods like fried mozzarella with marinara, onion petals with dipping sauce, fried dough, cheese fries and more, not to mention a baked potato topped with all your favorites or a healthy fruit salad. For those with sweet tooths, there will be apple or peach crisp, sweet or savory crepes, ice cream, shakes and smoothies, fudge sundae, flappin’ apples, and chocolate truffle.
Entertainment during the four-day food and music fest includes Chicago-style boogie music from Sweet Daddy Cool Breeze on opening night. Friday’s schedule includes rock and country sounds from Disorderly Conduct and Merrick Section, as well as Bon Jersey, a Bon Jovi tribute band, to close out the evening.
The music begins in the early afternoon on Saturday with well-known area vocalist Jimmy Mazz followed by the 94th Army Rock Band. In the evening, taste-goers will be entertained by the sounds of Scrap Iron Sun, while Aerosmith tribute band Draw the Line will finish off the night’s entertainment.
Acoustic music is on tap for Sunday beginning with City View and Good Acoustics, giving way to the bluesy, soul, rock sounds of the Susan Angeletti Band.
In addition to the music, this year’s Taste will also include a BMX demonstration from 4-7 p.m. on Thursday, as well as the Taste of the Valley’s Saturday Cruise, sponsored by Affordable Auto Glass. The popular annual returning “cruise day” will feature a display of classic, antique and special interest cars from 1-5 p.m. There is no fee to participate, and vehicles are judged by a panel of representatives from the event, with the winners awarded trophies and gift certificates. Sunday’s Taste of the Valley 5K Road Race. Race participants will follow a 3.1 mile route that starts and ends at the Senior Center on Park Avenue.
Other fun events for young and old alike include a midway with games and rides for children and teens, animal rides, and a petting zoo with exotic animals.
A portion of proceeds from this year’s event have been allocated to make a number of improvements to the Town Common. Overhead wiring, lights and pull boxes are being removed or replaced. Trenching is underway on both the North and South ends of the Common and underground conduit is being installed to replace overhead wiring. Also, a number of diseased or damaged trees will be removed for safety purposes creating an improved environment for visitors to the Taste and the many events held on the Common.
“We’ve got a great event planned and the town has always supported us and, hopefully, we will be good weather this year and continue our event long into the future,” said Condon.