Taste of the North County called off; Kiwanis hopes in ’23

By Cathy DeDe, Chronicle Managing Editor

Glens Falls Kiwanis Club’s Taste of the North Country food festival will NOT take place as scheduled on Sunday, Oct. 2, in Glens Falls City Park.

It “just isn’t possible this year,” organizer Jerrod Ogden told The Chronicle.

“We had very few restaurants sign up, and they all have such staffing problems, food supplies, and costs. We want to honor the challenges our restaurant partners are having instead of trying to coerce them into something they can’t do…

“We’re postponing Taste of the North Country until next year.”

Mr. Ogden said, “We thank the restaurants. We understand the difficult time they are having and appreciate all they have done in the past. Asking them do to Taste on the week after [the Adirondack] Balloon Festival and the same week as the [Warrensburg World’s Largest] Garage Sale — it’s too much to ask.”

Mr. Ogden added, “We can’t allow the restaurants who have done so much for us, we can’t have anything reflecting negatively on them.

“We can’t do it right with 15 restaurants. With food costs, the number of coupons they would need for food samples would be so astronomical, a family with kids couldn’t afford it.

“With all the food shortages, the restaurant might have scallops on the menu in The Chronicle, but then when the delivery truck comes, there’s no scallops. That makes them look bad to some people, and The Chronicle. We just can’t do it.”

Mr. Ogden urged the public going to restaurants, “When you have a choice, go local!”

“Taste” is typically the Kiwanis Club’s largest fund-raiser, supporting its scholarship program, affiliated high school Key Clubs, and child-focused community service projects and organizations.

“A lot of companies have already donated time and money to this year’s event,” Mr. Ogden said. “We will of course return the money. We will start reaching out to sponsors this week.”

For Kiwanis, not having Taste for the third consecutive year, Mr. Ogden said, “It’ll be hard for us, for cash flow. Fortunately, we have good investments.”

He said the Kiwanis Duck Race raffle at an Adirondack Thunder hockey game last year “was very successful. We will do the same thing in January.”

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