When veteran occasion planners Robin Roberts and Marge Davenport conceived the concept of manufacturing a competition centered on seafood within the North Georgia area — part of the area not identified for its crab desserts or recent shrimp — they thought, “Why not?

“Sure, why not?” Davenport mentioned by cellphone.

The primary was held in Younger Harris, in Cities County, eight years in the past and a second was held in Powder Springs, northwest of Atlanta, a few years later. Some of us from Chattanooga attended that one and requested the companions in Robin Roberts Promotions to provide one in Chattanooga.

Once more, they thought, why not?

The Chattanooga Seafood Bash is ready for April 28-30 at Coolidge Park, and it’ll embody a VIP reception on the Southern Belle previous to a gap ceremony within the park.

Music that includes native and Atlanta-based bands will play all through, and the occasion can even embody a beer and wine backyard.

Davenport mentioned the 2 have been engaged on the occasion for greater than a yr and have made journeys to Chattanooga about each two weeks since July securing sponsors and distributors.

In all, 30 meals vehicles or cubicles have been secured, and much more had been .

“We’re slap out of room,” Davenport mentioned. “We aren’t accepting anymore.”

Jonathan Susman, director of particular occasions and programming for the town of Chattanooga, mentioned his workplace has been impressed with the quantity of labor already put into the occasion.

“They have been working amazingly exhausting to garner help for this, and everybody in our workplace has been impressed,” he mentioned by cellphone. “We’re excited to see what it does.”

The distributors might be providing every little thing from recent Maryland crab desserts to seafood from Florida and South Georgia. There can even be desserts similar to peach cobbler and objects for land-lovers such hamburgers, hotdogs and a few Cajun objects.

Davenport mentioned there can even be handmade arts and crafts which have been chosen by a panel of judges on the market.

“They’re handmade by the artist who might be there promoting them,” she mentioned.

Davenport and Roberts began producing festivals and craft exhibits 15 years in the past within the mountains of North Georgia close to Blue Ridge.

“We do a three-day craft present in Helen, Georgia, yearly, for instance.”

She mentioned the seafood is the principle attraction for the bashes, however folks appear to additionally benefit from the free admission, household ambiance, music and crafts, as nicely.

She mentioned patrons can anticipate to pay honest or competition costs for the meals objects, “however the high quality is excellent.”

Contact Barry Courter at [email protected] or 423-757-6354.