Food, beer and live music: Taste of Harbor Springs returns for 27th year

Karly Graham, The Petoskey News-Review
·2 min read

HARBOR SPRINGS — The Harbor Springs Chamber of Commerce is gearing up for the 27th annual Taste of Harbor Springs event, chock-full of food, drinks and live music.

Different local restaurants will be gathering by the Harbor Springs waterfront from noon to 3 p.m. on Saturday for the annual fanfare of food.

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The following restaurants will be at the event:

  • Aamchi Mumbai

  • Fustini’s

  • Harbor Springs Market

  • Johan’s Bakery

  • Kilwin’s

  • Legs Inn

  • Mary Ellen’s Place

  • Pierson’s Grill & Spirits

  • Rusty Saw North

  • Small Batch at the Cupola

  • Spring and Porter

  • Stafford’s Pier

  • State Road Provisions

  • The Highlands at Harbor Springs

  • The New York Restaurant

  • Tom’s Mom’s Cookies

  • Trovato

  • Vernales

Each location will have samples of foods available, usually a few bites each so people can try as many restaurants as possible while minimizing food waste. People can visit the same restaurants more than once.

The food from the restaurants comes with the ticket, but wine and beer tickets can be purchased separately for $5 each. Petoskey Brewing will be providing the beer.

While no dogs are welcome at the event, the Pet Pantry will be in attendance so owners can take treats home to their pets. There will also be a certificate for attendees to grab free ice cream from Yummies after the event.

There will also be music performed by the Harbor Springs Community Band.

Admission into the event costs $50 if tickets were purchased after Sept. 11 or at the door. The event is restricted to ages 21 and older.

Money from the ticket purchases goes towards raising funds for the Mary Ellen Hughes Culinary Scholarships. Scholarships can go to professionals or culinary students in the area.

Bonnie Kulp, executive director of the Harbor Springs Area Chamber of Commerce, said the scholarship was renamed in Hughes’ honor this year.

Hughes and her husband owned the Crow’s Nest before selling it, and also opened Mary Ellen’s Place afterward.

“Mary Ellen has always been heavily engaged with our community and our downtown area,” Kulp said. “She was the originator of Taste of Harbor and getting the businesses and the restaurants together to do this.”

Hughes also started the scholarship fund, Kulp said.

“She just thought this was very important — that not only we give back to the community, but we also help and support those kids who want to go into culinary arts,” she said.

People interested in applying for the scholarship can do so by filling out the 2022 application and sending it to director@harborspringschamber.com. The deadline is expected to move up a few months from June, though the official date has not been decided yet, Kulp said.

“It's just a really wonderful event with lots of camaraderie and friendship, and great food and beverages,” Kulp said.

This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Food, beer and live music: Taste of Harbor Springs slated for Saturday