Taste of Downtown celebrates 30 years of local flavor

By Camille DeVaul · Thu Sep 24 2026

Annual event draws record 46 participating businesses and raises $30,000 for Main Street holiday programs

PASO ROBLES — Paso Robles Main Street Association’s 30th annual Taste of Downtown & Arte de Tiza brought together food lovers, local businesses and artists on Sept. 19, marking a milestone year for one of the organization’s signature fundraising events.

The annual celebration offered attendees an opportunity to explore downtown Paso Robles while sampling food and beverages from participating restaurants, wineries and a brewery. This year’s event featured a record 46 participating businesses, with offerings spread throughout the downtown area and extending into the Railroad District.

According to Main Street Interim Executive Director Jeffry Wiesinger, the event raised about $30,000 during its 30th anniversary year — another record for the organization.

“We raised $30,000 on the 30th anniversary,” Wiesinger said. “That was a fun little numerology."

Proceeds from Taste of Downtown help fund Main Street’s free holiday events, including the annual lighting of downtown and Christmas parade.

“It’s a fundraiser that really helps get us some funds as we get into the holiday season,” Wiesinger said. “Main Street puts on a lot of events that we don't charge for.”

The event also served as a way to introduce visitors to the variety of businesses that make up Paso Robles’ downtown.

“It’s really about helping our hospitality ... allow folks to come out and experience some of these restaurants that maybe you've heard about but never had a chance to get to,” Wiesinger said.

Attendees checked in at downtown City Park, where they received a wine glass, map, and lanyard before setting out to sample offerings in no particular order. With businesses located from around 14th Street to the Railroad District, Main Street also arranged transportation assistance through Central Coast Wine Tour Adventures, which provided shuttle service throughout the event, allowing guests to request rides between participating locations.

Several businesses provided additional support beyond their food and beverage offerings. Allegretto Vineyard Resort participated with a setup in the alley near Jeffry’s Wine Country BBQ, while Oxford Suites hosted an after-party and offered support through its restaurant, Oak and Copper Bistro.

The variety of samples included pork belly mac and cheese from Jeffry’s Wine Country BBQ, beer, wine, and sparkling wine, and arancini balls from Sabōr. Wiesinger noted that three participating businesses served different versions of mac and cheese, creating an unexpected theme throughout the event.

Taste of Downtown also attracted visitors from beyond the Central Coast.

“We had folks come in from England, we met some folks from New Zealand,” Wiesinger said. “And then we had people from all across California. We had some folks coming in from Utah, and Oregon.”

Wiesinger said the event has developed a reputation that extends well beyond the region.

“We've come to find out that with over 30 years that this event's been going on, people all around the country and in the world have come to know Paso's Taste of Downtown and come down for it.”

Main Street Board Chair Margaret Holstein also highlighted the enthusiasm of attendees and the event’s strong community participation. In addition to the 46 participating vendors, 78 tickets were sold on the day of the event, including purchases prompted by sidewalk stickers featuring QR codes.

“We knocked it out of the park,” Holstein said.

Holstein said the event provided a chance for people to visit businesses throughout downtown while enjoying a relaxed afternoon.

“I just walked around; the people were just so excited, it looked like they were having the best time,” she said. “Everybody could put the world's troubles on hold and just sit there enjoying themselves.”

Alongside the food and beverage tastings, the Paso Robles Art Association presented the 21st annual Arte de Tiza chalk-art celebration. Local artists created chalk murals along Pine Street.

For Main Street, the success of the 30th anniversary Taste of Downtown provided both a celebration of the event’s history and financial support for upcoming community traditions.

“Main Street is all about helping the downtown,” Holstein said.

The organization’s next major activities will lead into the holiday season, with additional events planned in the coming months.

For more information on Paso Robles Downtown Main Street Association and their future events, visit pasoroblesdowntown.org