Taste of Alpharetta Opens at Wills Park at 5 Today

What has 62 restaurants, 10 radio stations, a kids' fun zone, music and has shut down several blocks of Old Milton Parkway in front of ? Today's Taste of Alpharetta, of course.

From 5 to 10 p.m., tens of thousands of people will make their way to the 2011 edition of Taste of Alpharetta, all there to sample favorite entrees, appetizers, side dishes and desserts from restaurants in the Alpharetta area.

Entry into Taste of Alpharetta is always free. A ticket system is used to get food samples from the restaurant booths. Each ticket costs 50 cents, and they are sold by in sheets of  10. No food item will cost more than six tickets.

Good news if you forget to bring cash, or run out: ticket booths accept credit cards, too (MC, Visa, and AMEX).

Want to take the family out to dinner? Tonight's the night, and everyone can have what they want for a low price.

Ticket tip: Alpharetta Special Events Manager Kim Dodson said while there are three ticket booths–one near Marietta Street, one in the middle of the "restaurant row" of booths, and one near Wills Road–the Wills Road ticket booth is often overlooked. So if the lines are too long at the other two, head over to the Wills Road booth and you'll probably find shorter lines.

Today's high temperature will be in the upper 80s, and may even reach 90, according to Weatherbug.com forecasters. And temperatures off the pavement–and near those grills, food warmers and other cookers at the restaurant booths–will be much warmer. So look for the eight drink stations located throughout the booth area on Old Milton between Marietta Street and Wills Road. And don't forget suntan lotion, unless you are coming out after sunset. (That's at 8:29 p.m., by the way.)

With so many people, the city has asked visitors to leave the pets at home, though service animals are welcome.

Parking is available at the on Roswell Street (this lot fills up fast) and at the off Wills Road. Park and walk to Taste of Alpharetta from these lots.

Free shuttle buses will be running every 20 minutes or so from , (old Milton High) and . The grocery store will still be open, so try to save the spots close to the store for shoppers.