Want to sample delicious dishes, listen to live entertainment, bid on unique items and help a very worthy cause?

Then mark your calendars.

“A Taste of Greenville” Taster’s Dinner returns to the Camellia City in October. The second annual event is slated for 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Thursday night, Oct. 16 at Southside Baptist Fellowship Hall.

This community-wide event is once again sponsored by Safe Harbor, The Butler County Children’s Advocacy Center, and will benefit the children and families that are served in Butler, Crenshaw and Lowndes counties.

Tickets are just $10 per person for the event. A special table will be set up for those that would like to-go plates.

“This is such a neat way to sample a lot of different great recipes,” said Sara Jean Atkins of Safe Harbor. “There will be 27 recipes taken from Safe Harbor’s ‘A Taste of Greenville’ cookbook featured on the menu. Great volunteer cooks from throughout the community will be preparing the dishes for the occasion.”

The meal will start with appetizers, then move on to salads and soups, vegetables and sides, meats, main dish casseroles, breads, “and then finally everyone’s favorite – desserts which will consist of cakes, yummy desserts, cookies and candy,” Atkins said with a smile.

There will also be a fruit table with two different types of dip to sample.

Once again, Kyle Haynes and David Norrell of Q-94 will serve as event emcees. A variety of activities are planned including door prizes donated by local businesses to be given away at 7 p.m. (you must be present to win). Southside’s new Minister of Music, Brother Tim Hoyle, will furnish entertainment this year, along with guitarist Roness Fail.

“Brother Tim has a great voice and Roness is really good with the guitar, so I know everyone will enjoy listening to them as they dine,” Atkins said.

Attendees can prepare their homes and businesses for fall with an array of decorated and painted pumpkins featured in the silent auction.

“You can do some early Christmas shopping at the silent auction. We will have lots of nice items, including autographed Tide, Tiger and Trojans footballs. Those footballs were a big hit at last year’s event,” Atkins said.

Due to the tremendous popularity of last year’s event, advance tickets are highly recommended and are now available (as of Sept. 24) at The Pineapple, City Hall (Susie Winters), Butler County Courthouse (Tammy Gaston) and Safe Harbor. “You can also call Safe Harbor and we will save a ticket for you to pick up at the door,” Atkins said.

“A Taste of Greenville” cookbooks are $15 and will be available that night. Safe Harbor Counselor, Carolyn Spencer will also have available her book “Even Caterpillars Can Fly” with part of the proceeds benefiting Safe Harbor.

“Come join us for a night of great food and lots of fun as we keep making the difference in the life of a child,” says Atkins.

For more information, contact Safe Harbor at 382-8584.