Several local restaurants showcased their signature dishes and specialties to a packed house, and one lucky person walked away with $1,000 Thursday night at the Taste of Carter County.
The annual event was held at the Elizabethton Parks and Recreation building on Mill Street. The event featured music, dancing and a special grand prize drawing from Carter County Bank.
During the days leading up to the event, Carter County Bank sponsored a special scavenger hunt to promote not only the event, but the bank’s 75th anniversary. Clues were released throughout the day Monday through Thursday with a daily winner claiming a $50 gift card.
The four daily winners qualified for the grand prize drawing, held during the Taste of Carter County Thursday evening. The four daily winners were Jake Higgs, Debbie Sans, Brad Thornburg and Liz Street. All four winners drew numbers and selected identical cases on stage Thursday evening. One of the cases contained the $1,000 grand prize.
Members of the crowd counted down and when the cases were opened Thornburg, a resident of Fall Branch, was the grand prize winner.
Attendees were heard a short presentation from Duncan Street, president of Carter County Bank and Bill Greene, chairman of Carter County Bancorp. Both Street and Greene thanked those in attendance for not only supporting local businesses, but also supporting two local charity organizations – Honor Flight of Northeast Tennessee and CAP the Gap.
Greene said community support is one of the trademarks of Carter County.
“This is what makes Elizabethton and Carter County the best county in Tennessee,” Green said.
This year, 14 restaurants provided the “taste” for the event: Jiggy Ray’s, J’s Corner, City Market, Cake Art by Margi Chambers, Creekers Barbeque, Primo’s Italian Restaurant, Happy’s Cafe, Covered Bridge Cafe, Southern Cafe, The Ole Barn, Fatz Cafe, Captain D’s, Lone Star Steakhouse and Bojangles.