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Taste of Tillamook County Floods Oregon Coast with Music, Food

Cape Kiwanda, one of many scenic wonders of Tillamook County

(Tillamook, Oregon) - The Taste of Tillamook County festival is approaching, a culinary event showcasing the bounty of the county known for its cheese and dairy products, as well as stunning coastal and near-coastal scenery. Celebrating its fifth year, it takes place on March 16, 17 & 18, 2007 at the Tillamook County Fairgrounds.

The weekend-long food and music festival features local restaurants, microbrewers, wine cellars, food producers, food processors, and local agriculture, all to benefit Community Food Security programs in Tillamook County. Event highlights include professional chef demonstrations, “black box” cooking competitions, a professional clam chowder cook-off, amateur mac ‘n cheese contest, oyster speed shucking competition, cheese and spirits pairings and more. In addition, children’s activities, live music and local art make this an event for the entire family.

Preliminary judging to determine the finalists in the Taste of Tillamook County's Annual Professional Clam Chowder Cook-Off was conducted Thursday, March 1. Three finalists were selected and will be featured throughout the Taste of Tillamook County weekend, competing for the title of "People's Choice for Favorite Clam Chowder."

Pacific Seafood, in Bay City, is one of the larger features of the festival. It's here where you can obtain fresh seafood year round, as well as take a self-guided tour of the shucking process.

Five Tillamook County restaurants vied for the coveted spots. A total of 28 judges, including United Way Board members and representatives from their member agencies, Economic Development Council staff, and Taste of Tillamook County planning committee members, accomplished the daunting task of voting for their favorites among the entrants.

In the end, three finalists emerged: Blue Heron French Cheese Company, The Guide Shop and Pelican Pub & Brewery.

The public can vote for their favorite at festival. All proceeds from the 2007 Professional Clam Chowder Cook-Off benefit United Way of Tillamook County. This year’s winner will be announced on Sunday, March 18, at 11:30 a.m. at the Main Competition Stage.

Secret beaches like this one, just north of Oceanside, are also some of the big attractions of Tillamook County

Various kids programs take center stage at various points. Two of the days will feature a kid’s ice cream tasting contest. The Tillamook County Dairywomen is holding blind taste tests of Tillamook Ice Cream. Contestants will be blindfolded, handed an ice cream cone with a small scoop of Tillamook ice cream and then on "go," contestants taste the ice cream and try to guess the correct name of the flavor they taste. The first person to guess correctly wins the contest.

The contests are held off and on throughout the day on Saturday, March 17 and Sunday, March 18. There is no cost to enter and no registration required.

Mom and Dad can get in on this too. Anyone in the audience can participate.

OSU Extension 4H Program is sponsoring an opportunity for kids to make Fruit and Yogurt Parfaits with Tillamook Yogurt. 4H Program staff will also offer a “Story Time,” with all stories on the subject of food.

Don's Waterfall Farms, Food Roots, Inc. and Tillamook County Master Gardners will offer children an opportunity to learn where our food comes from. A variety of germinated seeds will be provided for the kids to plant themselves to be rewarded with a “bountiful harvest.”

The kids are given information on the plants, dirt, tags, and numerous other aspects of gardening. One of the featured plants is an heirloom annual berry called Wonderberry. It’s a plant that will grow in the sun or shade, and it produces tasty, small, blue-purple fruit. It is an heirloom that’s easy to grow and fun for kids.

For adults and kids, The Taste of Tillamook County has a sizable roster of live music.

With hits from the 60’s to today, Tillamook’s very own, the Oyster Shooters have been invited to kick things off at the Pacific Seafood Music Stage on Friday, March 16, 7:30 - 9 p.m.

The blues of Portland master Paul DeLay will be on hand to entertain

The Washington Post says that the legendary harmonica ace, Paul de Lay from Portland is “one of the finest blues songwriters around…easily outclasses most of the competition when it comes to songcraft and spirit.” The Paul de Lay Band’s most recent release, Heavy Rotation, climbed to #1 on the Living Blues magazine radio charts. See Paul de Lay and Band on the Pacific Seafood Music Stage, Saturday, March 17, 7:00-9:00pm.

King Ju Ju hails from Portland and will get people wearing out their dancing shoes to classic blues, swing, western swing, soul, rockabilly and straight ahead rock-n-roll. King Ju Ju and the Band hits the Pacific Seafood Music Stage, Saturday, March 17, 5 p.m. -6:30 p.m.

Portland’s critically acclaimed Ellen Whyte will grace the stage as well. She is a Cascade Blues Association Hall of Fame Inductee and Winner of Best Contemporary Blues Band, Best Regional Recording and Best Performance. She will play a hearty mix of blues, jazz, funk and country with a fresh approach on both familiar and original material. Ellen Whyte performs on the Pacific Seafood Music Stage, Saturday, March 17, 3 - 4:30 p.m.

The Supadupa Marimba Bros will be a special entertainment treat at this year’s Taste. These 10 young men, mostly in high school, play enthusiastic up-beat music on marimbas. The ensemble is set up like a choir, with bass, baritone, tenor and soprano ranged instruments. The music mostly originates from Zimbabwe, but the group also has some original tunes composed by their leader, Eric Miller. The band utilizes various original ideas of its members to re-interpret the music, as well as a few covers of popular tunes by artists such as The Beatles.

The Supadupa Marimba Bros started off at a school in NW Portland called the Metropolitan Learning Center, where Miller teaches marimba as an elective. After a couple of years, the boys went off to different schools but the band remained together. Now in their fourth year of performing, The Supadupa Marimba Bros are also adding traditional Zimbabwean vocals and percussion to the mix. Join the fun on the Pacific Seafood Music Stage, Sunday, March 18, 1:30 – 3 p.m.

For more information or to get involved, visit www.tasteoftillamookcounty.com or contact Event Coordinator, Jennifer Purcell, at 503-842-2236.

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