Ninth annual toast of the town boasts record number of vendors

The Columbus Symphony Orchestra is set to host its ninth annual Toast of the Town event this week. The fundraiser, which benefits the CSO, is held in partnership with Synovus and Aflac.

Eric Thomas, executive director of the CSO, is looking forward to this year’s event. “The Synovus Toast of the Town is the premier fundraising event for the Columbus Symphony Orchestra,” he said. “We are fortunate that excitement and support for this event has created the need for a more expansive venue.”

Due to the popularity of Toast of the Town, the CSO decided to move this year’s event to the Columbus Georgia Convention and Trade Center. “With the move to the South Hall of the Columbus Georgia Convention and Trade Center, we are able to increase the number of attendees,” Thomas said. “The move also allows us to increase the number of food, wine and spirit vendors while holding the entire event in one room.”

Last year’s event had over 90 vendors and 1,300 people in attendance. This year, Toast of the Town has a record number of vendors registered. In total, they number over 100 different vendors ranging from local restaurants to wineries and local painters.

Thomas said the event is a testimony to the Columbus community’s commitment to the arts. “I’m always impressed by the community’s involvement for this event,” he said. “This is the fourth year of our partnership with Synovus as the event's title sponsor and our second year with Aflac as our chef’s tent sponsor. The CSO, Synovus and Aflac are all major community advocates and maintain a deep commitment to the advancement of Columbus and the surrounding region.”

Toast of the Town 2018’s Aflac Chef’s Tent will feature Chris Hastings. Hastings was the James Beard Award for Best Chef: Southern Division in 2012, and also defeated Bobby Flay on Food Network’s “Iron Chef” that same year. Hastings and his wife Idie have been called “disciples of the farm to table movement.” The couple owns two popular restaurants in Birmingham, and consult around the region sharing their experience converting to the farm to table philosophy.

Catherine Hernandez-Blades, senior vice president, chief brand and communications officer at Aflac, said Aflac is proud to be a sponsor. “Aflac is excited to celebrate the arts by supporting the Synovus Toast of the Town – one of the city’s most anticipated events of the year,” she said.

Guests to the chef’s tent can expect to get a firsthand experience watching Chef Hastings in action.

In addition to the pre-grand tasting festivities in the chef’s tent, Toast of the Town also includes live music, valet parking and a commemorative wine glass per ticket purchase.

Taste of the Town 2018 attendees will sample popular local Columbus restaurants including River & Rail, 11th and Bay Southern Table, My Boulánge Bakery and Café, Wicked Hen, Bare Roots Farmacy, and more. This year, the event will also include regional favorites such as Acre, The Depot and Lillie’s Q.

In addition to restaurants, Toast of the Town 2018 has many wineries and breweries participating. They have also added several specialty vendors providing specialty cocktails, cakes, popcorn and other treats. At last count, over 100 vendors have registered to contribute to the evening.

Guests can expect more than just a night of good food, though. As tradition holds, Toast of the Town’s culinary experience will be accompanied by a silent auction benefiting the CSO as well. Items up for bidding include luxury vacations, some PGA tickets, Disney World packages, and tickets to Busch Gardens.

Local artists have also contributed to the evening by donating items to the silent auction. Garry Pound, Leonard Jagoda and Rob St. Clair all will have art up for sale this year.

For a complete list of vendors and event information, visit toastcolumbus.com.

This story was originally published February 25, 2018 at 3:13 AM with the headline "Ninth annual toast of the town boasts record number of vendors."