LAKEPORT — Music was in the air, heard blocks away on Saturday as Lakeport’s Main Street (from Fourth Street to First Street), was blocked off for the evening for the 22nd annual Taste of Lake County.
The event served up food and drink to ticket holders. Music by Mark Weston Band, Austin & Owens was free, as was music by the Funky Dozen.
“This event was begun to highlight our local award-winning wineries,” said Linda Kelly, Lakeport Main Street Association board member. “The proceeds benefit the association, which funds the flower baskets on Main Street and other beautification projects of Lakeport as well as funding other events.”
It was the place to meet people, chat, and have some wine and beer and food from 18 Lake County restaurants and 18 wineries/breweries. Laura Sammel, one of the vocal ensemble My Divas, said she met her husband at the event 13 years ago when it was called Taste of Lakeport. “I love this,” she said as she spread her arms out to encompass the crowd. “It’s a great tradition and the herald of Fall.”
Dotted in between the food and beverage canopies was an art exhibit, a sea plane and antique cars. At one point in the evening, the sea plane buzzed the crowd, low overhead, and created quite a stir, thrilling the event-goers as well as promoting the up-coming Clear Lake Splash In, September 6 and 7.
The event attracted people from all over the county and outside the county as well. Bart Knies, from Reno, Nevada, said, “So far so good. The ambiance is nice.” He loved the Thai food from the Kour Thai Restaurant and compared the weather of Lakeport being about the same as Reno. “Both hot!”
A group of people from Vacaville, Sonoma, Fairfield, Reno and Sparks clustered around a table eating Kour Thai food and Juicy’s vegetarian pizza. “This is my first time here and I will be back,” said Nicole Marino, Vacaville. Barbara Walthers, one of the Fairfield members of the group, said, “Lakeport is how Sonoma used to be. It’s welcoming and fun. We rented a pontoon boat today and had a blast. This is small town Americana.”
People enjoyed talking about the food. As Sandra McElhaney munched on pulled pork from Our Tiny Diner, she said, “It’s pretty awesome. Absolutely delicious.”
People also enjoyed talking about the wine. Bjorn Wimmer said, “Boatique Winery and Steele Wines are my favorites so far.” His friend Ashley Mueller listed Buck Shack Cabernet from Shannon Ridge as her favorite wine. “The bottle is really cute with the running buck on the bottle and barbed wire graphic on the neck of the bottle.”
Barbara Clark, Executive Director at Lake County Arts Council, said as she smiled her newlywed smile (she recently married John Tomlinson, instructor at Mendocino College) “I love Taste of Lake County. You see everyone. Eat everything, drink wonderful wines. Taste all that Lake County has to offer.”
Susan Crones, Lakeport District Attorney and member of Lake County Theatre Company, said, “I love this event, with the community coming out. It’s very mellow and the dancing will be fun.”
Mr. Lake County, chef John Arslanian at Fresh and Bangin’ said in-between serving tasty treats, “I love this event.” He was interrupted as the seaplane did its flyby. He laughed and said, “The Lakeport Main Street Association does a great job organizing this event. It’s our fourth year participating and we’re always happy to do anything for Lakeport.”
The street was crowded with people, young and old. The sound of people talking was loud and friendly. Lora Jabot of HollyVogueVintage said it was her first time at ToLC. “I think it turned out really well.” She didn’t know what her favorite food or wine was, “I’m still working on it.”
Brock Falkenberg, county supervisor of schools has been to ToLC 10 times. “It’s a great event. I come to enjoy the friendships and the ambiance.” Jim and Pat Shevlac visiting from Los Angeles, said, “We’re having a great time. We hope it remains a nice little secret.”
Twin Pines was serving a panna cotta gelatin custard blackberry. “It’s our first time here. We like to make it up to this side of the county,” said Tom Garrett, food and beverage director of Twin Pines. “We thought the panna cotta would go with the weather and the wines.” Garrett brought dozens of decks of playing cards to give away. He gave a box of 10 decks to Rosario Morris and Holly Sherman, fourth grade teachers at Konocti Education Center. “We’ll use them for ‘place value,’ a math assignment,” said Morris. The crowd of teachers with them laughed, saying, “Although we’re drinking, we’re still lesson planning.”
Men gawked and talked about the 1949 2-door Hudson Super 6, classic automobile on display. Painted in the colors of the San Francisco 49ers, with their logo on the seats, owner Porter Anderson, talked with the group of men gathered around the car. “It’s nice to see everybody having a good time,” Jim Perry of the No Name Car Club and David Velasquez were two of the men admiring the car. Perry said of ToLC, “I’ve been coming for 18 years. I like to see people who I haven’t seen in six months. Velasquez said, “It’s great. There’s wine, food, people and great old cars. What more could I ask for?”
Vendors pulled up their tents to clear the street for dancing to the music of the Funky Dozen at 8 p.m. It continued to 10 p.m. Kim Thomas, the keyboard player in the Funky Dozen yelled down from the stage as she continued to play, “The crowd is amazing!” She said that the band is made up of all Lake County musicians.
Zoe and Larry Richardson, known for their dancing, said, “We’ll definitely be dancing. We love the Funky Dozen. We’ll travel to see them.” Then they got up from their folding chairs and mingled into the crowd.
During a break from dancing to the song Chain of Fools, Diana Liebe, watercolor artist, summed up the Taste of Lake County, “It’s home town safe.”
