Springtime is upon us in Southern Oregon, and festivals and happenings are popping up all over our region. Every year we look forward to A Taste of Ashland, a weekend-long event celebrating local fine art and fare. This year, the festival will run from Noon-4pm on April 28th and 29th, with 17 galleries hosting art, food and wine.

This annual extravaganza benefits the Ashland Gallery Association, which works to support artists in our community. A Taste of Ashland also shines the spotlight on local restaurants, wineries, artisan food and breweries by inviting chefs, winemakers, fine food purveyors and craft brewers to create sensational pairings at each stop on the festival map. Here’s what you’ll savor:

17 Galleries
20 Wineries
23 Restaurants (including brewpubs like us) and artisan food purveyors

Participants stroll from gallery to gallery, all within walking distance in and around the downtown area (there’s also a free shuttle available for those who might need to kick up their feet throughout the day). Each gallery features fine artwork, wine tastings and culinary samples to create one great sensory experience! Tickets are available for either Saturday or Sunday, or all weekend long.

This year, Standing Stone is happy to serve up tasty fare right next door at Hanson Howard Gallery. The long-time Ashland gallery moved to our neighborhood last fall when we did a remodel on a historic building on our block. With the fresh renovation and new neighbors, we think the store front has never looked better, and we’re thrilled to have this great display of contemporary artists so close to our restaurant and brewery.

We’re also excited to be paired up with Weisingers of Ashland, which is another long-time local landmark. The winemakers offer regional varietals and innovative blends, and we’ll be pairing fare from our kitchen to match up with their pours. With past food samplings like Goat Cheese and Spinach Fondue and Lamb Kafta, we’re confident that our Chef Eric Bell will come up with more palate-pleasing goodies for this year’s celebration.

If you feel the need to stop and rest during the day, come in and enjoy a meal and pint to refresh before going back out and hitting the pavement. Tickets are available online and at several local studios. Visit the A Taste of Ashland website for more information and details about participating businesses and sponsors. Come out and treat yourself to a day (or weekend) of fun!