Politics & Government

Taste of Alpharetta Moves Downtown

After several years on Old Milton Parkway at Wills Park, the city has brought the event back downtown, but use the map so you don't miss anything.

With Alpharetta's emphasis on revitalizing its downtown, it should come as no surprise that the 2012 Taste of Alpharetta has moved back from being on Old Milton Parkway in front of Wills Park for several years.

2012 Taste of Alpharetta
Downtown Alpharetta
Thursday, May 10, 5-10 p.m.

Unlike previous years, the event won't be on Haynes Bridge Road. Nor will it be on Main Street, which the GA Department of Transportation won't allow anymore.

Find out what's happening in Alpharetta-Miltonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

This year, Taste will be on the west side of downtown, using Milton Avenue just like the Arts Streetfest. But this event is too big to fit on even this long city block. So Special Events Manager Kim Dodson is making use of Roswell, Old Roswell, Canton and Old Canton streets.

"We are ready for a great event downtown," Dodson said. "We are ready for people to come."

Find out what's happening in Alpharetta-Miltonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

If you visit every restaurant booth, by the time the night is over you will really know the heart of downtown Alpharetta. Wear comfy walking shoes, though.

And what can you expect from this year's Taste of Allpharetta?

  • 52 restaurants
  • 50 cents per ticket, 2-6 tickets per food sample ($1-3)
  • 10 restroom locations
  • 8 drink stations
  • 6 radio stations
  • 5 ticket booths
  • 3 fun zones
  • 2 stages
  • 2 first aid stations
  • 2 diaper changing locations
  • 1 Culinary Competition site (no longer sharing the main stage)

Dodson, her staff and other city departments have done what looks to be a good job using the space they have, and utilizing plans such as making the shuttle drop-off location be very close to one row of restaurants that could be overlooked, and putting some restaurant booths close to the Milton Center Park and Walk lot.

Parking and shuttles will be "reversed" from Milton Center (Old Milton High) and Wills Park. With the popularity of Taste of Alpharetta, expect to need a park and shuttle lot if you aren't walking to downtown from home.

Park and Walk Lots

PAL parking lot off Haynes Bridge Road behind

Park and Shuttle

Shuttle routes will have one handicap accessible bus rotating every other pick up (approximately every 20 minutes).

(the bank opening cut spaces from this lot)

Handicap Parking/Taste site accessible

South Main handicap accesible lot (just north of )

Road Closures

From the maps included with this article, it's obvious that the "usual" section of Milton Avenue for a downtown event is closed. And added to that are Old Roswell and Old Canton streets, plus the sections of Roswell and Canton streets from Milton to those other two closed streets. But what that means is that eastbound traffic on Milton Avenue will have to turn onto Wills Road to get past the closed roads.

It should be possible to at least use the "side" parking lot at Milton Center off Milton Avenue, even if you can't drive far enough to get to the main parking lot entrance that's immediately behind the main stage for Taste.


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